Shift
by Shift.982
Summary: I could still see those stupid scars. Like ugly reminders that even in a differnt form I would never be normal. Sometimes you just have to accept reality. Now there's a funny statement: accept reality. As im sitting in my bedroom as a dog. Reality's got nothing on me. Story about a shapeshifter. OC. Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1: Background, Pizza and Gills

**Jamie Knote is a high school girl with scars covering her arms and face. this is the story of how she got those scars and what the further result of that was. this story will eventually be a young justice fan fic but i havent worked my way there yet. please be pacent with me, this is just a hobby.**

_Jamie Knote seemed to be your average senior girl in high school. She was a strait "A" student without trying and the 1st lieutenant of the color guard. Normal brown eyes with normal brown hair, taller than average but not enough to be thought of as a basketball player. It wasn't like she was popular or well known or a favorite. She was just average._

No, no, no! You are not telling my story

This isn't some big and fancy story, with a narrator that sounds like he could be the voice of god in a movie. Nope, you get me. Because this is my story and this is how it needs to be told. So let's start over.

I seemed to be your average senior girl in high school. Not average in the way that I can't keep my legs closed and every boy I see is just another toy. No, way far from the true actually. Average as in I have normal brown eyes and brown hair. I'm the 1st lieutenant of the color guard. It's kinda funny, I have excellent hand-eye coordination in guard but in say basketball, I suck. I am taller than most girls my age and shorter than all the guys except for the shrimpy Freshmen. I'm not popular (thank goodness), not well known (even in the band, like I used to be), and I was only a favorite to one teacher (and my guard teacher doesn't count).

One not so average thing about me is my arms and face, well specificity what's on them. When I was 13, I was camping in the woods with my dad. As we were hiking around the mountain I got lost. Like I was told to, in the event that I got separated from the group, I stayed put. And so, of course, the clouds that had been looking threatening all day finally broke open and let all the water that it had been storing up during the drought loose. I climbed into the nearest tree so that I wouldn't be swept away by the runoff water. As I sat with my head resting on a tree branch above the one I was perched on, I felt a charge of ozone around me. I sat up and grabbed onto the branch I was sitting on and swung down so that I was hanging about 10ft off the ground. I wasn't quick enough to let go of the branch before the lightning struck my tree. The charge went through the tree and into my hands. Now what kind of story would this be without me have been making a fire earlier with lighter fluid that I managed to get on both arms, up to my elbows. That's right, it wouldn't be a very long story.

The fire burned from my fingers all the way to my elbows before I landed in the water that I had gone into the tree to avoid. Luckily, that little dip in the nice cold mountain water was enough to put out the fire. Now I am lost, burnt, wet and about to be unconscious. What luck I have, right? So at some point my dad finds me and rushes me to a hospital. They treated the burns and I got stitches in the gashes that I managed to get as I fell out of the tree. We didn't have enough money to get skin graphs to cover the burns so I have gross scars up to my elbow and three lines going from in between my eyes to my temple, I was lucky to have closed my eyes as I fell out of the tree, other ways I could have been blind in one eye.

That was four years ago, so the scars look more like I got mauled by something significantly larger than I am, as oppose to melted skin. I can put make up over the scare on my face but unless I wanted to always wear elbow length gloves there is no covering my arms and hands. And I live in Texas so wearing long sleeves is out of the question. But yeah, other than that I thought that I was normal. Little did I know that that wasn't just regular lightning. And again, just my luck.

I later found out that some mad chemist group called Eli Industries had created that storm and was using it to test some of their new matter altering electroids. They lost control of it and it grew and combined with the storm that was already forming. And of course it the lightning has to hit the tree that I was in.

Nothing was different in the tests that were done in the hospital, but after the wounds had healed and I only had scares left, I noticed something different. I was home alone while my dad was visiting his brother and my mom was at work. Like I normally do, I went upstairs to my room, ordered a pizza, turned on my music, grabbed a book and crawled in bed. I had just started a new book that was really hard to get into so I kept looking around my room. I got up and went over to my fish bowl and watched my two fish, Pabo and Bastiain. My mind wondered to what it might be like to breath under water, not having to come up for air or have to carry a bulky tank with your limited air supply in it. We could explore so much more of the ocean and so much deeper if we had gills.

I continued leaning against my dresser where the fish tank is and daydreaming about the underwater world when I realized I was having a hard time breathing. I straightened out my body hoping to regain the flow of oxygen. Whenever this happens I usually start breathing too much and then start to hyperventilate. So I just cut to the chase and did what I have to do in the event I do start hyperventilating, I grabbed a blanket folded it up and held it over my mouth so that I could still get air but not to much. And as if things weren't weird enough, I felt like someone was behind me, and breathing on my neck. I'm supposedly home alone and I think someone is behind me. I did what my dad had taught me to do since I was seven; I grabbed the knife I had stashed on my night stand, dropped thing blanket and turned around into my fighting stance.

There was no one there. But I know I felt the air moving on my neck, still holding my knife, I walked over to my mirror that was attached to my closet door, not to look at myself but to look behind me at my room. I do this to get a different perspective on things and try to figure out if something is out of place. I felt the breath again so I re-adjusted my focus to my neck. I just about fell over. I grabbed onto the door to steady myself and leaned closer, I had what looked like cuts in my neck. I Put down my knife and reached up to feel the cuts. They were perfectly formed gills. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, after holding it for a second I opened my eyes and let it out slowly. That was the breath that I first felt on my neck, I can't take air in through the gills but I can push air out.

That's when the doorbell rang. And again with my luck, right? So now I have gills and the pizza guy is waiting right outside. Crap. I yanked the pony-tail holder out of my hair and used my normal brown hair to my advantage. Grabbing my money, I raced down stair and opened the door.

"Hello," I said still having some slight problems breathing.

"Hi, one large pepperoni and black olive pizza for Jamie?" he asked.

"Yup, that's for me."

"Alright, that will be-"

"Here's a twenty, keep the change," I said trading the money for the pizza. "Have a good day!"

I went back inside and closed the door. I know that that was probably rude but he wasn't having to deal with gills randomly sprouting out of his neck, not to mention I tipped him way more than necessary. He should be happy.

I dumped the pizza one the counter and ran back upstairs to my room where I closed and barricaded my door. Walking slowly, I approached my mirror. Knowing what I was going to see didn't help the fact that this wasn't human. You have no idea how much I wanted those to go away, for me to wake up when the doorbell rings, to tip the proper amount and to eat my pizza in peace. Taking a deep breath I looked up at the mirror. And I just about fell over all over again. They were gone. My gills that had miraculously appeared had just as miraculously disappeared. I plopped down on my bed before gravity got the chance to take me down. Man, I can't take this kind of stress, it's not good for me I'm sure. And yes, I know I'm complaining. And I think the girl who previously had gills has a right to... So bite me.

After sitting there for a minute or two, my stomach started telling me it wanted the pizza that was waiting down stairs, getting cold. Yes, because when you have a heart stopping event in your life you still need the greasy deliciousness that is pizza.

i realized after the fact that i use luck a lot in here. this will all make sence in the future i promise. i also realize that i need to work on my writing style a lot. and suggestions would be awesome. please review!


	2. Chapter 2:Wait? What? Whiskers?

**well getting this chapter posted took alot longer than i expected... sorry about that... but im back on track now and have a plan for how the story is going to go now so mabey i can get the show on the road.**

A couple weeks passed without the gills making a reappearance, though I can't say I was disappointed. I was perfectly happy to just blend in, because that was so easy for me with my huge scars. Pardon my sarcasm, it leaks out every once in a while.

I hadn't told anyone about that night, especially not my dad, he still felt bad about the scars so I wasn't going to bring this up. And besides, how do you even start that conversation? "Hi Dad, how was your day? Happy to hear that. Say, have you ever grown gills and then have them disappear? No? Huh, that weird, because I have!" I don't think so.

And I couldn't tell my friends, because that would just push them away, they all know that I'm weird but let's not push my luck. So I kept the occurrence to myself. As long as it didn't happen again there shouldn't be a problem. And wouldn't you know, my luck just ain't what it used to be.

I was sitting in the living room watching TV with one of my pet rats, Pip, when she started to chew on my finger. "Hey," I said as I picked her up. "Easy with the teeth, carnivore." I held her up level with my face and she started twitching her nose at me. "You aren't the only one that can do that, Pippy." I moved my nose like hers and she started squirming, trying to get out of my hand. "Now what?" I looked at my chest where she had dropped and jumped.

At least they weren't gills. When I looked down, I could see part of my face, and I now had whiskers. I grabbed Pip, set her on my shoulder and went into the bathroom. I leaned toward the mirror and held my scared hand up to my cheeks where the whiskers had sprouted. This motion was as good as an invitation to Pip to run off my shoulder, down by biceps, up my arm and onto my hand so that she could properly investigate the new addition to my face. "Are you part of the problem or solution in this situation, Rat-face?" Well, how's that for an ironic statement? I could almost swear she was laughing at me. "This isn't funny Pip. First I have Pabo's gills and now I have your whiskers. This isn't good" I whispered to her.

I take back what I said about not telling anybody. I told my animals. I have twelve of them by the way. Pabo and Bastian, my betta fish; Pip, Willa and Isley, my rats; Dixie, Grace and Mandy, my dogs; and Jip, Tonks, Link and Zelda, my chickens. Yeah, they all know, but I trust them not to tell anyone. They usually aren't to chatty, so I don't have to worry.

Anyway, back to me having whiskers; I moved Pip to my other shoulder and lightly touched my whiskers. I automatically twitched my nose. I can now understand first hand why animals don't their whiskers messed with. It sent a tingle thought my body that I was not expecting. "Pip, I will never touch your whiskers again." I promised to the little black rat that had started to nest in my hair.

"Jamie, are you watching the time?" my mom called from the other room.

Crap. " Umm... No. why?" _Go away whiskers, please go away. I need my normal face back. _I pleaded inside my head.

"Its Monday, you have practice, remember?" she was coming toward the bathroom and I still had whiskers.

"Oh, yeah. I remember now. Sorry, I was... distracted." _Normal face, please have a normal face._ I opened my eyes and am happy to say that the only thing on my face was my scar. Just in time too, my mom walked up the bathroom door that I realized I hadn't closed and stuck her head in.

"You've gotta go. I'll put Pip back." she reached out to grab Pip from in my hair. All you could see of her was her head sticking out. "Well, aren't you cute. Cute little nose, and cute little eyes and cute little whiskers." She started stroking Pip's whiskers and I involuntarily twitched.

I put my tennis shoes on and grabbed my purse and keys. "Love ya, bye!" I called as I closed the door and locked it. I have to go and help teach the rookies at guard how to do different dance techniques. You know; jazz walk, jazz run, botmas, so- taes, sha-saes, the works. And I have to do it without growing some sort of weird new body part. That should be fun.

**if you know how to properly spell these dance tecniques could you sent it to me in a review because i cant even spell them well enough to google them... and thats just sad...**


	3. Chapter 3:Chickens and Crap

**Chapter 3**

I got through guard with nothing stranger than Becca managing to face plant happening. But one of the girls had asked me a question that I couldn't figure out how to word the answer. This happened a lot, and so I do what the question was about. In this case so- taes; she asked why I can get so high off the ground and she can't. So I was in my backyard doing so- taes across the lawn. When we are in the air we have to make sure that our arms are level, our head is up and straight, our chest is out, our hips are tucked, our legs are separated and our toes are pointed. We have to focus on every single muscle in our body while we are in the air. I stopped dancing for a second. That was the answer to her question. You have to focus on everything at once. The plea before the jump, the form during, and the extension after.

Now that I had my answer I could just have fun dancing. I put my headphones in and when to one of my old winter guard show songs, and went through the routine. While I let my muscle memory take over, I let my eyes wonder around the yard. I was over by the chicken coop when the solo I had in the show started, I put more effort than just the muscle memory into my solo and right when I jumped for the so- tae, Tonks, my yellow chicken, ran out in front of me. "You stupid-"

My sentence what cut short by the fact that I was now looking eye to eye with Tonks. I looked down and squawked. Literally, there is nothing figurative about that sentence. I had turned into a yellow chicken. And let me tell you I could have just about laid a square egg right then and there.

Tonks cocked her head and stared at me, no longer interested in whatever she had been chasing a couple seconds before. She crooned softly in the back of her throat, and then pecked my toes. Usually, when I'm human, I just shove her away with my foot when she does that. So not fully realizing the drastic size difference in my body right now, I tried to do that. I don't know how chickens can balance with their awkward shaped bodies. To say the least, I fell over. Then my other three chickens decided to come see what was happening. So instead of looking up at four rather lethal looking beaks, I just closed my eyes.

I woke up some time later to find myself in my bed. Now how did I get here and what form what I in when they found me? Not good, bad actually, yeah I would go as far as to say bad. I laid there trying to think of what happened. The last thing I remember is being a chicken. Not as promising of a memory as you might think, trust me. I didn't know how long I had been out. But I did know that the sun was coming through my bedroom window so it was morning. And I knew that whatever had happened had wiped me out, the whole incident with the chickens had happened after guard so it had to be around 8:30. I rolled over to look at my clock. 9:00. I had been out for over twelve hours if it had happened yesterday.

I threw off my covers and while avoiding looking at my rats and my fish, just in case, I shuffled out of my room. To my left was my dad's office and then to my right was the hall way leading to our stairs and the game room. I went right after seeing that my dad wasn't in his office and went down the stairs.

"Well there she is."

"Yes, well there I am," I said to my dad groggily.

"How ya feeling Kiddo?"

"Like I just rolled out of bed after how many days?"

"Two days. The doctor said you had a concussion and to just let you rest and that you would wake up soon," he said as he got up from his chair at the table. "So what happened out back?"

"I, um, tripped over a chicken while I was practicing. I guess I hit my head when I fell." Hey, it's true, I did trip over the chicken. I simply left out the part about me becoming one.

"Which one was it?"

"Tonks, she was chasing something, a bug probably.

"Gotcha. I called your guard teacher to let her know that you would be out for a couple weeks."

"What?! No, I can't miss guard! I've already missed enough. Crap, I have to get ready to go." I started going back upstairs to get my work out clothes on.

"Jamie, you have been asleep for the past two days-"

"And so I need to get some exercise. I'll sit down if I start feeling bad but I can't miss any more."

"At least let me drive you," he offered.

"It's OK Daddy, I can drive. I'll call you when I get to practice."


	4. Chapter 4: Nurse and Glares

**well that little break was almost as long as the one young jusitice is taking. that is so erksom... my friend gets me hooked on it and right when ive caught up with all of the episodes and have had time to watch them a couple of times they say "ha ha just kidding!" *grumble grumble grumble* its just plain painful. well anyways, thats my shpeel. and yes my spelling still sucks, thank God for spell check. enjoy! and happy turkey day! i am thankful for the whole 4 people that have sent me reviews!**

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**Chapter 4**

After arriving at practice and reassuring my dad that I was fine, I walked over to Jade. She was the one who had asked me about the so- taes.

"Jamie, you're back!" Jade said, setting down her flag.

"Yup, I back. And I figured out the answer to your question you asked on Monday."

"Great! Whatcha got for me?"

"Everything," I said.

"Well that's vague..." she said eying me. "Just how hard did you hit your head?"

"No, really. You have to focus on everything. Focus on your head, on your shoulders, on your arms, on your hips, on your legs. Focus on what you do before and how you land after. Everything.

"So if I focus on everything-"

"While using proper technique," I cut in.

"-while using proper technique, it will look right in the air?"

"It should. Try it out."

"Alright," she said checking to see how much room she had around her. "Count me off?"

"Five, six, five, six, seven, eight." I said clapping each count.

On the next count, Jade pushed off and started jazz running. Four steps, plea, and up. Arms out flat, head up, hips under, legs apart. And that is how it should go.

"How was that?

"Told you it would work," I told her.

"Was it really good?" Jade asked.

"I wouldn't lie about so- taes."

She smiled and asked "So how's your head?"

"Probably not screwed on as tight as it was before."

"So basically about to fall off."

"Basically."

"That's a reassuring thought," Jade said as she picked up her flag.

"Hey, wanna see a cool toss Castelli showed me?" I asked picking up my own flag.

"Let's see it."

I stepped back and checked around me, the last thing I needed right now was to peg someone with a six foot pole on the day I get back. After I was sure it was clear I did the carve prepping for a double and tossed my flag up. "Here's the cool part," I said as I turned to catch it behind my back. I had my right hand at the small of my back to catch at the tab and my left hand out to catch the bottom stopper. I had done this toss a hundred times before and never seemed to have any problems with it, but now I miscalculated where my left hand should go. I caught the flag with my right hand but had my left hand too far behind me to catch the pole that was now swinging towards my face. In a split second I jumped up and twisted my body around so that I was now flipping the same as my flag. I got my feet back under me and landed without so much as a balance check. I looked over at Jade and said "That was way cooler than the toss I wanted to show you."

"You mean that wasn't plan-" she was cut off by one of the other guard girls yelling "DUCK!"

I was still too wrapped up in what I had just done to register what was happening before it was too late and I got a flag to the back of the head. And like a ton of bricks had hit me I was down and out again.

You would think that being able to throw a 45 toss would be pretty easy right? Well apparently not for Rue. It was Rue that had yelled "Duck." It is for reasons like this, that we threaten people with failed attempts at 45 tosses, because they hit you and you go down.

I have to say I'm really kinda tired of getting head injuries. Ugg, now my dad is never going to let me go to guard, pre-injured. Luckily I was only out for a few seconds, when I woke up I was being carried. Now, I'm not a huggie person to begin with. I don't like being touched and much less carried. I have bad memories of other kids grabbing my arms and legs, pinning me down and creating all kinds of awful scenarios that I got my scars from. So my first responds is to squirm and try to get out of whoever's arms I was currently in.

"Dude, would you chill out?" Jade said trying not to drop me.

"Down. Put me down right now!" I yelled, still trying to escape.

"Okay, fine," she said setting my back on my feet. "But you are going to the nurse right now weather I have to knock you out again and drag you down there or you come willingly. I'm not picky as to which one."

"You are cruel and unusual for a best friend… no wonder we get along so well."

"Oh just shut up and walk."

We continued walking down to the nurse's office when I realized something. "Question," I said.

"Answer," Jade snarked back.

Ignoring that I continued, "How did you pick me up like that? I mean, we weigh the same amount."

"Well, how does an old lady lift up a car to save a baby?"

"Because that old lady was actually Supermans mother."

"Never a straight answer…"

"You needed to go to the nurse, and I was just the first one to act."

"You do realize that all she is going to do is give me ice and make me lay down, right?" I pointed out as we rounded the corner to the nurse's office.

"You don't know that."

I gave her a look that said "Oh, please," and walked in.

Now, something has to be said about the nurse at our school. She has more than just a slight obsession with frogs. I'm not talking she has a figurine here and a stuffed frog there, I'm talking, pictures of cartoon frogs everywhere and frogs on lilypads border on the walls and frog figurines and stuffed animals EVERYWHERE! She had frogs dressed up as nurses and nurses dressed up as frogs.

"Hello, girls," Nurse Trina greeted us.

"Hi. Jamie got knocked on the head again," Jade said nodding her head at me.

"Oh! Well, let me get you some ice," she said as she went to her freezer. "Why don't you lay down on one of the beds over there and rest. Are you dizzy or anything?"

"No, ma'am," I told her sitting down on the nearest bed, and giving Jade a look that said "Told you so."

"Jamie, you crumpled to the ground and just laid there for a couple seconds," Jade pointed out. I glared at her from the bed I was occupying and she just shrugged. " You did, you know it, I know it, the whole guard knows, now the nurse know it and now," she hit a button on her phone that I hadn't realized she pulled out, "your dad knows it."

"Jade," I groaned, flopping back onto the bed. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because he needed to know and you wouldn't have told him."

"I would have told him, but it would have been after this whole concussion thing had blown over."

"You didn't mention that you had a concussion," Nurse Trina said with a concerned look on her face.

"It didn't seem relevant at the time," I mumbled still flopped back on the bed.

"Since you have a concussion your father really does need to know that you got hit again," the nurse said as she handed me an ice pack.

I lifted up my head and stuck the ice under it. While my head was up I figured I would take the time to shoot Jade a death glare.

"You can glare at me all you want Jamie, but it won't change anything," she said without even looking up from her phone. Yup, she knows me well enough to know when I am glaring at her. If that's not a friend, then I don't know what is.

"Jade, you can go back to practice if you would like. I'm going to keep Jamie in here for a while."

"But I'm fine! I can still at least watch practice. I've missed too much already I need to be there. If I miss much more I'm going to lose my spot."

"I'm sure your coach will understand that you're injured-"

"Sure she'll understand. She will understand and then replace me and make me sit on the sideline while everyone else if preforming."

"But for your health you need to rest."

"Excellent! I'll rest in the guard hall," I said getting up.

"Jamie, you are missing the point."

"No," jade said, "I think I see the point on her head…."

"Not helping, Jade!"

"Nurse Trina, I can make sure she doesn't do anything to hurt herself again. This isn't a battle you can win. We take guard very seriously," Jade said stepping towards me.

The nurse looked hesitant and doubtful but gave a slight nod to her head.

"Great! Jamie, grab your ice, we gotta get back before we miss too much more."

I stood up holding the ice on my head and walked out of the nurse's office. Jade was walking next to me with a smug look on her face.

"I can think of a few reasons for that smug look. I can also think of a couple more reasons to smack it off your face." I told her with another glare.

"Just be happy that you aren't still lying on the bed in there. You would have made the point on the head comment, your dad needed to know and I know when you glare at me. You have nothing to be upset about."

"I have the mocking of injury, the sneaking information to my dad, and how do you know when I glare at you without looking?! I have plenty to be upset about… my death glare makes most people crumble into a little ball and cry."

"You're fine, Jamie. And I'm use to your glare by now; I've adopted it and made it into my own. My glare makes people run as oppose to crumble."

"Ah, but with a crumbling glare you don't have to chase them to get your point across, you can just squat down and tell them what the problem is"

"Very true, but with a running glare they are too busy running to think about fighting back."

"My victims are too busy rocking back and forth, mumbling to themselves to think about fighting back."

"Fine, it's a draw," Jade said.

"Deal."

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**what amuses me is the fact that my friend and i had basicly this same argument. you know trying to figure out whos death stare was better. this will come into play when batman comes into the story :D just a heads up! if you have questions, coments, conserns or are just so bord that you feel the need to message me, have at it. i am bord enough to reply**


	5. Chapter 5:Puddle Jumping and Sports Cars

_whats one day late right? i have now created a team for shift to be on when she gets onto the team. but all in good time my friends all in good time._

Chapter 5

I walked into my living room after practice and plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV. It was on the weather channel from when my dad was watching earlier.

"Today is gonna be a sunny day with a high around 90 and a low of 72." Out of habit I looked out the window. Contrary to what the ever faithful weather man said it was dark and stormy looking outside. I got up and went out onto the back porch and looked up into the sky. Right above my neighborhood was a small storm forming. But the rest of the sky was just as the weather man said, nice and sunny. My dogs finally noticed that I had gone outside and came running up to me. Gracie, my beagle cocker spaniel mix, walked around behind me and stuck her head in between my legs. She has never been to fond of storms but my goodness dog; you don't have to almost knock me over as you cower.

Then the rain started. It wasn't just a little drizzle; it was a cow on a flat rock, a frog strangler, raining cats and dogs. My dogs are at very least smart enough to come onto the porch or to go inside; chickens on the other hand were not blessed with that much brain power. They were standing in the middle of the yard, looking up and switching every time a rain drop hit them in the head. Sighing I ran barefoot out into the grass and tried to scoop up all four chickens at once. If you have ever held a chicken, even just one, you will know that if they just perch on your arm they flap their useless wings to keep their balance as you walk. Now imagine that with four flightless birds doing that. By the time I got over to their coop (with a fair bit of language mind you) I had Jip on my head, Tonks on my right shoulder, Link on my left arm and poor Zelda had fallen off somewhere around the oak tree. After stuffing the three that I had in the coop, rather unceremoniously might I add, I ran back over to get Zelda. As I picked her up I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I tucked the red chicken under my arm and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jamie! It's Jade. Isn't this storm awesome?"

"Hang on; let me get out of it." I ran over to the gazebo and set Zelda down on the table.

"What did you say?"

"I said, isn't this storm awesome? I love the rain!"

"It would be better if it gave my dog a back bone and my chickens a brain."

"Go ask Oz about that, I don't think the rain will do that much."

"It's so weird that it's only over our neighborhood though."

"That's ok because now we don't have to share. Wanna come and puddle jump?"

"Is that even a question?"

"It shouldn't be, but you never can tell with your type."

"That's funny, especially since people mix us up all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, see you in a few."

"Ok Jade, I'll head over there as soon as I can."

I hung up my phone and put it back in my pocket. "Well Zelda, time for some puddles then." I picked her up again and tucked her back under my arm. I finally realized the state that the chicken was in. "Oh yay… a muddy chicken."

I walked down the street to Jades house and saw Jade, already soaked, dancing in the puddles. "Don't worry! I'm here!" I said as I ran up to the puddle she was in and landed so that I splashed water all over her. "Finally you show up. I was beginning to think that a little bit of water was going to keep you huddled up in your shell."

"Not likely."

She laughed and splashed me back. "Are we jumping puddles or not?"

"Well I didn't bring the duct tape for nothing" I said pulling out a roll of silver tape. "Puddle jumping time."

We taped her left leg and my right leg together like we were about to have a three legged race. "Ok, you know the rules: you can only step in puddles, and if you fall you have to gargle what you land in." we had created this game a couple months ago in the last rain storm we had. It's amusing because you don't always jump for the same puddle so you fall into the water and drag the other one down with you.

"Ready," Jade said after we were taped together.

"Set," I said

"GO!"

We wobbled our way from puddle to puddle jumping in feet first, and laughing and enjoying the rain. After a while we sat down on the curb and took a breather. As we are sitting there a silver Mustang sped by us, spraying us with the puddles we had just been playing in. "Why you little-" Jade said as she wiped the dirty water off her face. "Not gonna fly buddy!" she called down the street. She jumped up, pulling me with her and starts running down the street to catch up with the jerk that splashed us.

"Whoa. Wait. Jade. Person. Attached." I babbled as I tried to keep up with her.

"Keep up Jamie,"

I got my feet under me and said "Inside, outside, inside, outside," as we ran so we could keep our steps together since our legs were still taped together. We got the rhythm down and sped down the road after a car that we knew we would never catch. "Eh…. Whatever. We'll let them go this time," jade said as she leaned over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.

"Ok, I'm taking this tape off before you see a mail man you feel the need to chase, Fido," I pulled out my pocket knife and cut through the tape. "You're free, now sick-em!"

"Bite me."

"Where and how hard?

"My foot as I shove it down your throat."

"Touche."

We walked back to her house, continuing to splash in puddles as we went. When we got there, we both stopped and our jaws dropped. It seemed as though Jade's Step-dad had gotten a new car. A silver Mustang. I looked over at Jade to see that she had picked her jaw up off the ground and had replaced the shocked look with one that told me she was right back to wanting to kill him.

_ya'll are all going to review right? RIGHT? please... _


	6. Chapter 6: A Jerk and A Dog

**I'm back! and here is your weekly fix of shift! thank you to Dannyrules96 for the ideas you gave me, they were most helpful! and thank you to Blackwolfe swaping band stories with me. for the chapter that is coming up after this i cant make any promises about its timlyness, because the past 6 chapters have been pre-written and i simply had to post them, but now i have used up all of the chapters that ive had stored and i have to write a chapter a week now. all things considered that dosnt seem like that much but since practice is starting up again the amount of down time i have is going to plumit. so just to give you a heads up so i dont get pms saying "hey shift... shift... hey shift you forgot somthing!" because then i would have to punch said person over the internet and i like my computer to much for than and would rather not have to damage it like that. ok im babbling now... before you start reading you should keep in mind that i love rewiews and i will answer you back. please *puppy eyes* (hehe see i can do that [get it?])**

Chapter 6

First let me tell you a few things about Jade's step dad: he's a jerk. A fat jerk even. This is the guy that refuses to eat alfredo sauce simply because its white and creamy. And in his words "No real man should eat anything white and creamy." I know, ew. And he says all of this in front of his 4 year old daughter. What a guy, right?

"What was that for, _Dad?_" jade asked practically spitting the last word. I thought her head was about to explode.

"I was just driving my new car," he said with mock innocence, then almost as on after thought, "Oh, and by the way you're grounded."

"What?! Why?! "Jade's eyes were starting to bug out of her head a bit at this point.

"You clearly don't know how to play _safely_. I saw you playing in the middle of the road."

"We were sitting on the curb when _you_ sped by, splashing us with filthy water!" I figured it would be frowned upon to point out that we had been playing in that filthy water 10 minutes before he drove by.

"I was just driving home from work," he said continuing the mock innocence. All she could do was sputter. "But like I said, you are grounded, let's say for two weeks. That means no TV, no phone, no computer, you can only go to work and guard," he turned to me and smiled, "and no friends. So you can go now, Jamie."

Now my jaw was right back on the ground. I mean talk about your catfish mouth. WAIT! NO! DON'T THINK ABOUT A CATFISH! The last thing I need right now is gills, the whiskers and guppy lips, especially in this situation. But I really do hate this guy. About a month ago, one of my rats, Willa, had been sick and could have died. I had gone over to her house to hang out and when I got there he was mocking me about it. "I heard about your rodent, Jamie, I think I know what you should do. Just find a snake and feed your rat to it. It will squeeze her till she doesn't squeak any more, then it will open its mouth nice and wide to swallow her right up." The jerk…

"I guess I'll text yo- well, I'll send you a message by way of carrier pigeon. Bye." I turned and started walking toward my house. As I walked I heard Jade storm inside and slam the front door.

"You want that to be 3 weeks?" her step dad yelled at her. I swear I heard Jade lock the front door.

"Hey, I'm home!" I called as I walked in my front door.

"Hello, Chicklita! Where have you been?" my mom asked as she was sitting on the couch.

I plopped down on the couch next to my mom. "Puddle jumping with Jade."

"Oh yeah? What's the score?" Yup she knows all about the amazing game that is puddle jumping.

"One gargle for me, and two gargles and two weeks grounding for Jade."

"Step dad?"

"Yup."

She sighed as she tuned back to the TV. Let me just take a moment to tell you just how much I love my parents. I know that a lot of people are like "Mom, back off my life." But my mom is like my best friend, we stay up late on the weekends talking about our day and end up talking late into the night. We get punchy too. You know that time when you are so tired that everything is funny and you say really weird things? Yeah, those times. That is how we have gotten so many of our inside jokes. For example: stampeding ducklings. See, it's not funny to you. We talk the same way and we are both crafty (you know, artistic) and can watch a movie once and, much to the dismay of the people around us, can quote full scenes from it. And I get my cautious nature from my dad, some people may call it paranoid but we prefer to call it being very prepared…. For everything... At any time. We go shooting together and took karate classes together and both got our black belts. He's taught me how to look at things and see how they work. They're awesome, I love them both.

I got to thinking about the weird things that had been happening lately. You know, gills, whiskers, the chicken incidence. _I wonder if I can control when I change._ I looked down at my dog Grace that had her head resting on my leg. _Hmmmm…. _

"I'm gonna go upstairs, call me when dinners ready, " I told my mom as I reached over and gave her a hug.

"Okay."

I ran upstairs to my room and closed the door. Okay. How does this whole thing work? When I had become fully chicken I was dancing. When I grew whiskers I was mimicking Pip, and when I got gills I was imagining breathing under water. So in all incidences I was thinking of something specific, except for when I turned into a chicken; then I was thinking of everything at once. Well there's something. _Let's try this._ I sat down on my floor just in case this didn't go as planned. _ Everything at once. And let's try, ummm, a dog. _ I closed my eyes and thought of Grace, and how she was sitting earlier. With her head resting on my knee, leaning up against the couch with one of her front paws up like she always does and the very tip of her tail wagging. I opened my eyes and looked down. I still saw myself sitting cross-legged on my floor. Well maybe it's the other way around, instead of thinking of all the parts of the dog maybe I have to think of every part of my body instead. I looked down at my scared hands and arms. Everything. If I could figure this out I could get rid of these scars. I looked at my face in the mirror in front of me, at the angry red scars that crossed half my face. _They could be gone_. I stood up and went to the far corner of my room. The best way to think of everything was to dance. I went into B plus position and mentally counted myself off. _5, 6, 7, 8. _ I did a quick jazz step, pleaed and lept into a sotae. Arms out, head up, butt tucked, chest out, legs apart and toes pointed. _DOG! _

When I landed it was on four rather short and fuzzy legs. I walked over to my full length mirror and wagged my tail. Yup, that's right. I had a tail to wag. In the mirror I didn't see an average girl with scares on her face and on her arms; no I saw a black dog with long fur and a pink tongue hanging out of her mouth. I took a few steps closer to the mirror and cocked my head to the side. I sorta looked like Grace, but I was missing all of her markings like her white socks on her feet and the white on her snout. Not to mention her brown eyebrows and mustache. I closed my eyes again thinking specifically about my eyebrows, snout and feet, when I looked in the mirror again there they were. I stood there marveling at the fact that I had just turned myself into a replica of the dog that was sitting down stairs.

I tore my eyes from the mirror and looked at my front paws; I could still see those stupid scars from all those years ago like reminders that even if I'm a different animal I will never be normal. I wined and looked back up. Now that I was aware that they were there I could see scares on my face. _Well I guess some things never change. _ I've gotten used to having them for this long I guess I just suck it up and accept reality. Now that's a funny statement; accept reality, and I'm sitting in the middle of my room as a dog, reality's got nothing on me.

"Jamie, dinners 'bout ready," my mom called up from the kitchen down stairs.

And again, crap.

I ran back over to the corner and did what I'm sure was a crazy looking little failed attempt at a leap while praying to turn back into my normal self. I landed back on all fours but when I looked down I saw red scars and thumbs so I knew I was good. Just to be sure I checked myself in the mirror, didn't see any fur and was happy to see that I was still wearing the clothes I had on earlier. That's good to know that after I change I won't need to replace my clothes.

"Jamie?" my mom called again.

Oh right, food.

"I'm comin'," I called down as I headed for the stairs. Well I may not be able to tell anyone about what I figured out I can do but I still couldn't help but smile.

**and the chapter is done! now if you would be so kind as to just scroll down ever so slightly and click on the convenetly located reveiw button i would love you forever! and again *puppy eyes***

**and in case you couldnt tell i was venting a bit about the dad. i couldnt just make that stuff up. the whole alredo thing happend. *puke***


	7. Chapter 7:Guard Compititon and Ghosts

**Alright so before I get review saying why is Gotham (which I don't own by the way or batman or robin) in Texas. It just is. Deal with it. I needed it where I was and I already said Jamie was from Texas in the first chapter so that's how it's gonna be. Deal with it quietly. This is fan fiction my friends, things don't have to make sense.**

**I also don't own airblades. That is bandshoppe's baby.**

Chapter 7

A few weeks later the guard was on a big yellow school bus on our way to the Gotham Guard Competition, or the GGC for short. This was one of the biggest competitions we had during the year. For weeks we had practiced for four hours every day, plus whatever we did on our own. So basically I practiced for about six hours every day. My lunch period had turned into practice periods with a quick snack mixed in. I would go to our library and practice in the back where there aren't any book shelves. The ceilings are as high as a two story building so throwing big tosses wasn't a problem.

Anyways, we were on the bus and I was doing everyone's hair. We were all required to have our hair in sock buns and apparently I am the only one capable of doing 25 girls hair. And thus I became the Sock Bun Nazi. Wa-hoo (It's hard to type sarcasm). I was working on Jade's hair when the bus driver called back to us that we were entering the Gotham City Limit. We all crowded against our window to see the legendary city. The city that swarmed with crime and the streets crawled with the scum of the underworld, But mostly the city that was protected by the Batman. We had all heard stories of the things that Batman and Robin did. How they swooped in and saved the day over and over again.

That got me thinking, a lot of other super heroes had powers, not Batman or Robin but they don't need them, they're Batman and Robin. I needed to talk to them. In whatever way I could, I had to talk to them. My train of thought was disrupted by Jade clearing her throat.

"Huh? What?"

"Wake up Jamie. You still have bobby pins sticking out of your mouth."

"Oh right, sorry. Let me finish your hair real quick."

"That would be good."

I finished her hair and moved on to the next girls. I let my mind wonder again, thinking about how I could get to talk to the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder. But all I could come up with was something illegal. And considering who I wanted to talk to, the whole illegal thing might not be a good idea.

"Entering Gotham city limits," the bus driver called back to all of us.

We crowded up against the windows of the bus and stared at the city we had all heard so much about. The towering buildings gave way to dark allies that hide who knows what, drug lords and gang members walked along the streets.

We pulled up to a tall, ivy covered building with steep steps leading up to the front door. Gotham High school.

"Officers get the flag bags and everybody else go and wait for them at the front door," Castelli told us. We all got off the bus and I headed to the back of the bus to get the flag bags. We finally managed to get up the steep steps and meet up with the rest of the guard.

"Ya'll know the rules; we go in and get checked in and go drop off our stuff in our waiting area and we do not become _that guard_."

We all nodded and said yes ma'am. We knew what she was referring to when she said _that guard._ Last year the guard that was sitting next to us while we waited to go warm up was being obnoxious and singing In the Jungle at the top of their lungs. People that were working the competition were complaining about them and complimenting us on our civility. We got cupcakes for not being _that guard_.

After check in we went to the waiting area and set all of our stuff down. It was only 12:00 and we didn't have to go to warm up till 12:45 so we had some time to kill. I headed for the bathroom to check my hair and makeup before the performance. As I was walking down the hall way I heard the pitter patter of slippered feet behind me. I turned around and saw a guard girl from another school walking behind me. I smiled at her and turned back around. There's no need to be rude, right? We Texans have a reputation to uphold.

I tuned into the bathroom and walked up to the sinks and mirrors and checked my hair and makeup. When I was done I turned around and saw the girl that had been behind me in the hallway. She was short, about up to my chin and had black hair that billowed around her pale face and down her back. She wore a simple but elegant white dress that had white lace coming up from the bottom hem and a black belt with an empty loop on her left hip around her waist. She stared at me with unnerving blue eyes. The outer parts of her irises were a pale blue and the closer you got to her pupil the darker it got. It was so dark that you couldn't tell where here iris stopped and where her pupil started. She stepped closer to me and I tried to step backwards but I was backed against the sink and couldn't go anywhere.

_Crap, I'm trapped, _Ithought as I stared back at the girl. "Can I help you?"

She stood up on her tip toes and leaned I even closer, she smiled a demented smile and quietly sung "you're gonna be in trouble."

I lifted my scared hand up to push her away from me but she turned around and ran out the door before I could. I ran out after her just to see where she went but when I got out of the bathroom she was gone. I even peeked around the corners but I couldn't hind hide or hair of her.

A little shaken I walked back to the waiting area. Apparently I was looking a little pale because Jade came over and asked me if I was ok.

"Just some weird girl came and creeped me out," I said. I told her what the girl looked like and what she did. Jade got a troubled look on her face but when I asked her what was wrong she just waved me off like it was nothing. But telling by the look on her face she knew more than she was letting on. I let it go for the moment but was still shaken up a bit. I absent mindedly rubbed the scares on my arms, tracing the lines and ridges, just thinking.

After a while it was our turn for warm up. We gathered our equipment and filed out into the hall way. We walked single file and silent down to the warm-up room. We went over our show and all the parts we had been struggling with. I worked on my solo and on my tosses. Even though flag is the most basic piece of equipment it's my favorite. You can do so much more with flag than with rifle sabre or airblade. I've had a flag solo every year in winter guard and I absolutely love every one, I get to learn weird new tosses that are considered advanced like the one that I have ended up flipping in when I tried to show Jade. It's awesome.

~0~0~0~

After our performance (which we were amazing at by the way) Castelli let us all run to the rest room and get out all of our nervous pee (it's a guard thing). The bathroom was filled with guard girls from other school all getting ready for their show. I looked at all the different uniforms trying to figure out what school the mysterious girl was from, but no one else had on the kind of dress she was wearing. Oh well.

As I was about to leave the restroom I heard a blood curdling scream outside the bathroom. I ran out of the bathroom to see who it was. The girl in the white dress from before and a boy that looked a lot like her who had on a white button down shirt and black slacks on, were dragging a girl from another school between the two of them. It was the girl being dragged that was screaming. Someone came busting out of the door behind me knocking me out of the way and when running after them before I could see who they were. I went back to where I knew Castelli was waiting for all of the guard girls and told her what happened.

"Tell everyone to find there partner and to come back here."

At the beginning of the year we were assigned a partner in case of an emergency. We stay with our partner at all costs. And that way we know if anyone is missing. I ran back out into the hallway and told every one of my guard girls I saw, they all ran to find their buddies. I went back to the bathroom to find Jade, my partner, since that is where I saw her last. _Crap, she's not here anymore. _

"Have you seen Jade?" I asked Becca and Natalie, who were on their way back to Castelli.

"I saw her running down the hall way a minute ago," Natalie told me with a worried look on her face.

I went running in the direction she had pointed. As I was rounding the corner to where I had seen the boy and girl run a few minutes ago, the fire alarms started going off. I knew I should get out of the building but I had to find Jade. _Ah, screw it. _I ran toward the main gym and started smelling smoke.

I pushed through the doors and saw the bleachers on one side of the gym were on fire. The flames licked at the banners hanging on the wall and lit those on fire as well. As I looked around and saw a girl with black hair and a grey uniform flying toward the girl in the white dress who was now wielding a sabre, that looked suspiciously like the same kind of sabre that we use I guard. The girl in white took a swing at the girl flying towards her and judging by the cuts on the other girl's body, there was nothing fake about the sword. The boy from before was tying up the girl they had kidnapped with guard tape. I could see the fear in her eyes, she was to terrified to even struggle against him.

"Ghost, stop playing around and just finish her," he yelled to the girl with the sabre.

The girl who was apparently named Ghost lept forward to stab the girl in grey, "Good bye, Tempest," she said as she closed the distance between the two of them.

Tempest ducked and rolled out of the way, she came up on one knee and shot flames out of her hands.

The hem of Ghost's dress caught on fire, "Ghost help!" she called to the boy. Well that's not confusing. Both the boy and the girl were named Ghost.

I don't know how I had gone unnoticed this long but I had to do something. I looked around and decided that I could get to the tied up girl. I ran back behind the bleachers where they couldn't see me and changed into a black rat.

**Sorry to end it at a cliff hanger but I've got so save something for next week. I created Ghost, Ghost (it will all make sense in time, just hang in there.)and Tempest and all the other characters except of course Batman and Robin. Seeing as this chapter is over 2,000 words and is 4 pages long I will make ya'll suffer through another week until you find out what happens. I don't know why I worried about not getting this done. I finished on Wednesday. Yup I just impressed myself.**

**For you non guard people out there, guard tape is electrical tape, we spin sabres (white "swords" with black hilts), rifles (wooden guns with either black or silver bolds [plastic piece on top] and black or white straps on the bottom. In order to make this easier on yourself, just google it.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I realized that I should probably comment on something here: in the story, Jamie just calls her coach by her last name, Castelli. I call my coach by just her last name so that's where that came from. It was natural for me to not put Mrs. In there so I didn't. and Merry late Christmas or which ever holiday you celebrate! and to Chance (yeah, you know who you are *death glare*) if you think about quiting writing again i will write you out of my story. yup i have that power. so by golly KEEP WRITING!**

Chapter 8

I scurried across the floor by the wall and came up next to the kidnapped girl. I had no way of telling her not to freak out so I made due with just licking her knee. If it's even possible, her eyes got even wider when she saw me. I ran back around behind her and started gnawing on the guard tape that bound her hands. I could tell that the tape had been done tightly by the color of her hands. She started wiggling her fingers, trying to get feeling back in them. Using my little rat claws I climbed up the back of her dress and chewed threw the tape covering her mouth. She reached her hand up and pulled off the tape the rest of the way. Discreetly, she pulled her skirt up to reveal her bound ankles. I jumped off her shoulder and ran to her feet and undid those as well.

"Brother!" the girl Ghost cried as she tried to beat the flames off her dress. Her apparent brother appeared next to her and ripped the bottom part of her skirt off and threw it away from them.

With the Ghost siblings occupied, the kidnapped girl grabbed me around the waist and ran out the door. She didn't stop till we were far away from the gym. She ducked into an empty bathroom and set me down on the sink counter. _Well, know what do I do? She's gonna want to take me home as a pet._

She bent down so that I was eye level with her. I saw her face change to a look of confusion as she noticed my scars. "I was just saved by an average sewer rat? Is that really all you are?" she said more to herself than to me. I stared back at her with my beady little rat eyes. I wanted to nod and assure her that yes, that all I was, but that seemed like it would be counterproductive. I did the only thing I could think of and ran for it. I couldn't change back into a human if she was watching me so I had to find a place by myself. I ran for the door and squeezed under it and around the corner of the hall way before she could get out the door.

I changed back into my normal form when I was sure she was far enough away. The smoke around me was thicker up high and I was starting to have a hard time breathing. I ran out the nearest door to the outside. All the guards at the competition were waiting outside while the fire trucks pulled up to put out the fire that had spread to other parts of the building. I looked down at myself and saw that I was covered in soot.

A fire man rushed over to me and asked if I was ok. I was exhausted. I had never tried to stay in a different form for so long. He repeated his question and grabbed hold of my arm. I gave him a half nod and half "what the hell is going on here?" look. As he led me down to the medics that were setting up oxygen tanks, I realized that even though I saved the girl, I never found Jade. As I stumbled along I tried to tell him she was still missing, but was too tired to form any words. I was sat down in the grass and handed an oxygen mask. As they were taking my vitals Mrs. Castelli ran and knelt down next to me. "Jamie! Where have you been? Are you okay?" she asked, she wasn't mad, just concerned. Then she realized, "Where's Jade?"

I looked up at her and shook my head.

She ran over to the fire man that had helped me over and told him Jade was still missing. After we watched four firemen run into the building she came back over and squatted down next to me.

"Jamie, tell me what happened," Castelli said gently as she put her hand on my shoulder.

I pulled the oxygen mask away from my face, "I went to go look for her and…." I had to make sure I didn't mention turning into a rat. Luckily Castelli took my pause as just being out of breath.

"It's okay, take your time."

"I went to the gym to look for her and found the Ghost siblings, the girl they kidnapped and someone called Tempest in there." I took another breath from the mask. "They fought. And I think the girl escaped somehow. I had to leave because of the smoke, but I couldn't find Jade anywhere."

"It's ok Jamie, we'll find her. They're looking for her now."

"What about the girl that got away? Did they find her?"

"I'll find out." She stood up and walked over to the nearest fireman to ask. As she was walking over I saw the door I came out of open, and a fireman was carrying the girl that I had freed in his arms. She was conscious but looked a little more singed than I did. She brought her over next to me and set her down. She was handed an oxygen mask and asked various questions like I was.

"You okay?" then realized that might be taken like I knew something, "I saw them grab you."

She just nodded. I could see that she was shaking. I looked down at my hands and realized that I was too. Castelli walked back over, still looking worried, "Is this the girl you saw before?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am."

She knelt down in front of her. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, just tied me up," she replied back very quietly.

"What's your name?"

"Marie."

"Ok, Marie, you need to tell that man over there, "she pointed at the police commissioner, "everything that happened, okay? He's going to get a hold of your parents and try and find the people that grabbed you. Tell him everything you can remember no matter how small a detail."

"There you are!" I heard from behind me.

I turned around and I dropped the oxygen mask. Standing there behind me was Jade. She had both her bags and mine slung over her shoulder. She didn't have any soot on her so she had to of gotten out of the building with everyone else. I jumped up and ran over to her. She set down the bags and stuck her hands on her hips.

"Where the hell have you been Jade?! I searched everywhere for you!"

"I got out with everyone else I assumed you would already be out. But then I couldn't find the rest of the guard. Then I saw you sitting over here so I came over," she said with a shrug.

"I ran around a building that was on fire trying to find you, you idiot!" I wasn't mad, but all the relief and exhaustion was flowing out of my mouth and it didn't seem like my filter was on. "I saw the Ghost siblings fighting some flying, fire shooting chick named Tempest and saw Marie tied up in the gym!"

"You saw all that?"

"Yeah and I…. Yeah I saw all that," I caught myself before I gave anything away.

"And I think those Ghost siblings you mentioned are called The Ghost twins by the way."

"How do you know that?"

"I have a hobby of researching various superheroes and super villains," she said like it was totally beside the point.

"You were supposed to find your partner, Jade. Me, I'm your emergency partner. Why didn't you try to find me?"

Jade just stuttered, not sure of how to reply to my question. "I… I was… I mean I had to…. I tried." She looked down at the bags that were on the ground around her feet.

"You went to get you _stuff_ instead?"

"It was close."

I started to walk away then turned back around and grabbed her arm and dragged her over to Castelli. "Here she is," I said as I pulled her up next to me so Castelli could see her then walked back over to get my bag.

I felt like I wanted to cry, scream and sleep all at the same time. The pressure in my head was like someone was trapped inside my skull and trying to push their way out. I walked around till I found the rest of my guard who were all sitting in small groups, not saying anything, just sitting being around each other. I sat off to the side a bit and pulled Wilson, my purple rabbit pillowpet, out of my guard bag, along with my iPod. I was sitting cross-legged leaning over Wilson so that I was lying on top of him and turned my music on, tuning out everything around me and fell asleep.

**I didn't just absolutely love this chapter. It wasn't as upbeat as I prefer but whatever right? A little diversity is good. A change of scene if you will… a change of scene if you won't, too.**

**But hey if you're curious about anything just put it in the review that I know you are going to give because you love me and I have posted every weekend for you because by golly I'm good like that.**


	9. Chapter 9: Smoke, Code and a Ginger

**I've done it! i have started conecting my story with Young Justice! *dances around singing* finaly after 8 chapters there is finally a conection! any ideas that you might have or mabey things that you want to see happen in the story, just message me. ive been having writers block pretty bad and even little sugestions can help my brain start working agian. happy new year!**

Chapter 9

The fact that I was miserable was a great source of enjoyment to Wally. Wally was the annoying ginger kid in my 2nd period art class at school. All he did was sit there and make stupid attempts at being funny. His jokes were awful. And he kept trying to guess why I was in such a mood. He had plopped his skinny butt down on the stool next to me so he was facing me and leaned over the table so he could prop his head up on his hand.

"Wait, wait, don't tell me-"

"I wasn't planning to," I interrupted him.

"- you dropped your ice cream cone?"

I didn't say anything, hoping that he would just get bored and go away. No such luck.

"no, no, that's not it… um… you got last at your guard competition over the week end?"

Jade, who was sitting across from me only do to our assigned seats (apparently Wally was above the rules) snapped her head up. "We got first place thank you very much. And that was with everything that happened."

I shot her a look that told her "I still remember everything that happened." She looked back at me with a conflicting look that I ignored and went back to the sketch of a dragon I was working on. Wally saw the look and decided that that was his business to meddle in.

"Oh, I see," he said with an all knowing look on his face, "You dropped your flag while you were twirling it and it caused you to loose and now Jade is mad at you."

"Excuse me?" I said slowly turning my head to fix him with a death glare.

"What did you just say?" Jade said throwing in her own death glare.

"I know for a fact that you did not just use the "T" word. I know that you didn't because that would mean that you had a wish to strung up by your little toes and hoisted up to dangle from the highest point of Wayne Tower in Gotham with cement blocks attached to your hands and then have water continually poured up your nose." I said in a deadly voice motioning with my pencil at the appropriate parts of his body as I referenced them.

"And I know that you didn't just accuse our officer of not being able to catch her shit."

"Whoa guys. It was just a joke, I didn't think you took your twirling so seriously," Wally said holding his hands up in surrender, still not noticing that he was still using the hated word.

"Would you get your soulless ginger self out of here before you need assistance moving at all? You don't know what happened this weekend. You have no clue what we went through! You don't know what it's like to be running around a building that is on fire –" I started coughing and couldn't stop. My throat still hurt from all the smoke that I had inhaled two days before. My eyes started watering as I continued the raspy coughing.

"Wait, what fire?" Wally asked totally unfazed by the fact that I was on the verge of donating a lung right there in the middle of art class.

I stopped coughing just long enough to take in a long wheezy breath before continuing my coughing fit.

"Jamie, do you need an inhaler?" Jade asked, pulling her back pack up onto the table. She sounded worried but my eyes were watering too badly to be able to see her clearly.

I nodded my head and stuck my hand out toward her as I kept coughing. She dropped her yellow inhaler into my outstretched hand. I took a pump from it and held my breath as best as I could to let the medicine do what it could before I slowly let my breath out. The medicine had stopped the violent coughing but I still had puny little coughs ever few seconds.

"Whoa, what fire are you talking about?" he still hadn't caught on that he still wasn't wanted.

"You idiot, the fire at our competition that Jamie went running around in trying to find me even though I wasn't in the building anymore. You heard about the fire at Gotham High School and the attempted kidnapping and the fight between the Ghost Twins and Tempest, right? Yeah, that whole ordeal. All the smoke that she inhaled is the cause of Jamie coughing, not to mention your freckled nose not being able to stay out of other people's business. Now go away before I start sticking sharpened pencils into every opening in your head!"

Wally got up to go back to his seat, as he walked past Jade she stuck her hand out without watching and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down so that they were nose to nose and said "And if you ever say that we twirl again I will personally see to it that Jamie's threat is carried out." She pushed him toward his own seat and turned back around to face me. My face was red which made my scars pop out even more, my eyes were still watering and my throat burned but I had stopped coughing for the moment.

"You okay?" she asked.

I nodded and reached for my water bottle in my back pack and took a sip. After I screwed the lid back on I handed Jade back her inhaler and signed _THANK YOU_ to her. Both of us knew enough sign language to get our point across… plus the curse words.

She gave me a look that told me she didn't trust my nod.

_THROAT HURT. NO TALK, NO HURT. _I signed.

_OKAY… SORRY. _ I knew that the sorry was for everything that had happened at the competition as well as a sorry your throat hurts.

_I KNOW. I SORRY TOO. THANKY YOU AGAIN._

Jade looked confused and signed _FOR WHAT?_

_ FOR WHAT YOU SAY TO STUPID._

_ WH_O?

_ W-A-L-L-Y _I finger spelled.

_OH. YOU'RE WELCOME. FUNNY._

I smiled. I could hold a grudge like nobody's business, but when it's your best friend, it's the hardest thing ever. We just got along to well for it to work any other way.

0~0~0~0

I made it through the rest of the day only needing to use Jade's inhaler once more. Unfortunately that was in my Astronomy class. Astronomy is the most pointless class ever. We do nothing. If you feel like sitting there and texting the whole class the teacher doesn't care. The most educational thing we have done is watch Blue's Clues to learn the order of the planets from the song they sing, watch Dora for some reason that had nothing to do with astronomy and then we finally graduated up to where we were mature enough to watch the Magic School Bus. La dee freaken da.

I don't know what got me started coughing but I couldn't stop. And I don't talk to anyone in that class because they all annoy me to no end, so I had no one to ask if they had an inhaler and if I could use it. I texted Jade while I tried to smother my coughs "t ylla tg irity." We had come up with a code that we would occasionally text each other in to let the other know that it was important. She would figure out the decoder word because it always referenced something major from earlier in the day. The class room I was in was right above the one Jade was in so I knew it wouldn't be long till she was here. My phone vibrated. When I opened the message it said "hzxtyr."

I kept trying to smother my coughs but it wasn't working. People who had never noticed the scar faced girl sitting in the corner of the front row were turning to look at me. I hate being noticed. My throat felt like it was trying to explode and was on fire all at the same time. I couldn't risk taking a drink of water for fear that I would end up shooting it out of my nose. There was a knock on the locked door. My teacher got up from her desk to open the door. I saw Jade standing there with the inhaler in hand.

"Jamie needs this," she said holding up the yellow inhaler.

"Who?" my teacher asked.

Jade gave her a "really?" look and pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked over to me. She set the inhaler on my desk "Hang on to that, but don't use it to often." I gave her a thumbs up as I took another puff of medicine. _THANK YOU AGAIN._

_ SURE._

0~0~0~0

The Ghost Twins sat at the kitchen table of the apartment they lived in with their heads bowed as Haunt stood towering over them.

"Congratulations, you two have proved to me that I have been much too lenient on you. You have taken advantage of my kind and thoughtful nature. You have been sneaking around and listening in on my plans. And now, I have to start all over again because little Ms. Marie is being watched so a couple of fools don't come and attempt to yet again kidnap her." Haunt started walking around the table and stopped behind Lily Byrd, the girl Ghost. "Did you think you were ready? Did you think that you didn't need to be assigned a mission; that you could just pick and choose what you do?" Then he walked behind Luke Byrd, Lily's twin brother," That you didn't need me?"

"That's not what we thought!" Lily said trying to defend them.

Haunt's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you say?"

Lily ducked her head back down with her hands in her lap. "Hey, back off Lily," Luke said putting one hand on Lily's shoulder and slipping what looked like a pocket watch into her hands.

"Sit your pasty butt back into that that chair, Boy!" Haunt yelled. Luke sat back down, holding on to the end of the chain of the pocket watch. The pocket watch was a contraption they had made where the chain retracted inside of it.

"I am sick of you kids ruining everything!"

The Ghosts looked at each other and nodded. They sprang up and, with the chain between them, clothes lined Haunt. They ran behind him, wrapping the chain around his neck and Lily ducked under the chain and they both yanked on the ends they were holding down to the ground, pulling Haunt onto his back and smacking his head onto the ground. The fall knocked him out. Luke let go of his end of the chain and it retracted back into the pocket watch in Lily's hand. He walked over to the unconscious Haunt and stood over him.

"We quit," Luke lifted up his foot and stomped on Haunts nose with a sickening crunch. Blood spurted out of his nose and ran down his face, dripping onto the floor around him.

**the thing with the teacher asking "who?" has happened before. and it wasnt even at the begining of the year. huzzah for being invisible. and in case you are wondering about the code thing, the key is "inhaler". you write the key word with no repeating letters then continue the alphabet starting from the last letter of the key, making sure none of the letters repeat then you match it up with the normal ABC's and tada! you have a code. if you've read Bitterblue than you know what im talking about. (BTW i do not own bitterblue or young justice... you know the drill.)**


	10. Chapter 10: I Become a Mutt

**dont worry guys, im back! sorry it took so long to post. i was visiting my grandparents who aparently dont have internet. lets have a little look see to find out who Jamie gets to meet today!**

** to Tempest, Chance and Athena: i need back stories my friends! if you wanna be in here you gotta give me somthing to work with. Chance i have your broad over scope of your story but how bout some details! and Athena, dear, anything at all would be helpful, cause i cant put you in till i know somthing. and Tempest... eh whatever i'll just talk to you tomarrow.**

** read on!**

Chapter 10

That night, after everyone else had gone to bed in the house, I slipped out onto the roof of the back porch by climbing out of the spare bedroom window. I would go out and lie on the sloped roof and just look up at the stars. My life had been so busy lately that those were the only moments of peace that I could find. I had on black sweatpants, a red undershirt and a black zip up hoody. The nights were getting colder as winter approached but the jacket was all that was necessary. I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes, letting the night air wash over me. As my muscles finally relaxed I heard the clanging of metal trash cans, then an "oof!" of someone getting hit. Even in my moment of peace, crap still happens.

I rolled into a sitting position and looked around. I couldn't see where the disturbance had come from so I stood up to try and get a better look. Realizing it was probably coming from in the front I shape shifted into a cat and leaped onto the main part of my roof. Down the street to the left, a man had tripped over the trash can on the side of the street and was currently lying on the ground; scampering to get back onto his feet. Running from the right side of the street came none other than Robin, the Boy Wonder. I watched in wonder as Robin catapulted himself at the guy using his bo staff and landed on top of him. They grappled for a moment under the street light before the guy Robin was fighting got the upper hand and clubbed Robin on the head, dazing him for a moment. He grabbed Robin and twisted his arm behind his back; even from this distance I could hear the pop of his shoulder dislocating. He cried out in pain and twisted out of the man's grip and backed away cradling his right arm with his other hand. The guy jumped at him again and somehow managed to get him tied up with his hands behind his back and took his utility belt.

I made a split second decision and jumped down off my roof and landed on my feline feet. As I ran toward the dueling duo I changed into a big black dog and tackled the man down to the ground. I stood on top of him snapping at his face with my lips curled back exposing my mouthful of sharp teeth. He tried to protect his face with his arms so I sunk my teeth into his forearm. He let out a howl of pain and knocked me upside the head with his other hand; I went sprawling onto the pavement but wasn't hurt. He scrambled to his feet and took off running down the street. I ran after him and snatched Robin's utility belt from his hands, then turned and ran back to the bound Robin.

I placed the belt In front of Robin, backed up a few steps and sat down.

"Thanks, Mutt. Can you do any other tricks?" Robin asked rolling into the kneeling position and shaking his head in attempt to clear it.

I woofed quietly and wagged my tail. Robin smiled and waited for the apparent dog in front of him to roll over or chase her tail or something; so when I stood up and shifted back into my human form with my hood pulled low over my eyes so he couldn't see my face, he just looked at me with his jaw practically on the ground.

"That was whelming…." he said weakly.

"Need a hand?" I laughed, enjoying his surprise.

"Who are you?" Robin asked, keeping up with his distrustfulness.

"Someone who's trying to help."

"And does that someone have a name?"

I hadn't thought of a name to go by. I hadn't needed one before because no one ever knew that I was really human if they saw me before as an animal. "Shift," I spouted. Sure, that'll work.

"Shift? Original," Robin said sarcastically. "I'll stick with Mutt."

"Sure, whatever. Now would you like help getting your hands undone or not?

"Uh… yeah… sure…"

I walked around behind him to see what his hands were bound with. Zip ties, tightened so much that I couldn't even fit one finger into the loop. I pulled my pocket knife out of my pocket and slipped the blade inside and cut through the plastic tie. Robin's arms swung to his sides and he winced in pain.

"Your shoulder?"

"How'd you know?" he asked as he rose to his feet.

"I watched him twist your arm around and I heard the pop."

"Where were you?" he asked cradling his right arm to take the weight off his shoulder.

"Around," I said nondescript. "Who was that guy?"

"His name is Zeek. He's a mobster with an attitude."

"And pretty good right hook too." I reached down and picked up his utility belt and held it out to him.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked, noticing the scars on hands.

I dropped the belt and pulled my sleeves down to cover my hands. "Nothing that you need to worry about."

We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds till Robin said, "You should be careful walking around the streets with no shoes on, there might be glass or nails." Apparently he had noticed my bare feet as well as the scared hands and was concerned for their wellbeing. Charming.

"You should be careful walking around the streets period, there are mean people that dislocate little boys' shoulders," I retorted.

My comment caught him off guard and he quickly changed the subject, "So do I get to see the face of the girl that rescued me?"

"Only if I get to see yours," I responded dryly. The street light overhead cast a dark shadow onto my face, so Robin couldn't see that I was smirking under my hood.

"Fair enough," he shrugged. "I guess I'll see you around, Mutt."

"Why, planning on needing rescuing again? And what about your shoulder?"

"I'll get it fixed at the Batcave." Robin threw down smoke pellets that I hadn't realized he was holding and I jumped backwards and turned into a black rat, realizing he was making his signature escape. He laughed his slightly crazed laugh that I had always heard about and I darted out of the circle of light of the street light and out of the cloud of smoke (I'm really sick of smoke let me tell you). From this size and vantage point, I could see Robin now perched on top of the street light but he couldn't see me. I looked at his masked face and saw him looking around, confused. I guess I just pulled a "Robin" on Robin. When I was sure I was far enough away, shifted back into a human and laughed my own slightly crazed laugh, just loud enough for Robin to hear before I headed back home.

I hopped my fence and walked to my back porch. It was too late for me to go in through the back door, not to mention it was locked so I turned into a little black gecko and shimmied my way up the wooden post supporting the porch roof. I slipped back inside through the open window and went back to my room. I had finally gotten to talk to Robin. I smiled as I crawled into bed. Not only had I talked to the Boy Wonder but I had made a name for myself. I smiled even bigger, technically I had made two.

ok well the end was kinda cheesey but whatever, it finished the chapter.


	11. Chapter 11: Not As Stealthy As You Think

**well here it is. only a little late. but you love me so that is ok. im going to apoligize in advance for the drop off chapter.**

Chapter 11

"You found who, and she what?" the Dark Knight asked his protégé.

"I found a shape shifter, and she "Robined" me," Robin said, studying his shoes.

"Who is she?"

"She called herself 'Shift'. But of course wouldn't tell me her name. I'll scout around the neighborhood I met her in to try and find out more."

"No," Batman said. Robin looked up and met his masked eyes. "You will stay here and work on your stealth training. If an amateur was able to ditch you, you clearly need more practice. For the next three days you will not be doing anything but training. I will send someone else out there to find her."

He wanted to argue but knew there was no winning against Batman. He nodded his head and walked out of the Batcave and into Wayne Manor. _That's not fair. I saw her first. She'll talk to me. _He made his way to the kitchen and plopped down in a chair and rested his head on his hands.

"You seem to be troubled, Master Dick," Alfred said when he saw him pouting at the table.

Dick mumbled something incoherent and laid his head down onto the table.

"I'm sure it's nothing that a chocolate chip cookie couldn't fix," the butler said setting down a plate stacked high with cookies fresh out of the oven. Dick pulled his right hand out from under his head and felt around for the plate of cookies, cursing as pain went shooting through his shoulder. _It takes freaken forever for a dislocation to heal. _He gridded his teeth and grabbed a cookie, sitting up to eat it. The warm cookie melted in his mouth and he let a groan escape his lips as he chewed.

"The world doesn't seem so bad, now does it, Master Dick? Everything looks a little brighter when you are eating a warm cookie."

Dick nodded and continued chewing.

"Don't eat too many Sir, you have training and you know that too many cookies makes you sluggish."

"It's worth it, Alfred." He stood up and thanked the butler for the cookies then headed back to the Batcave. Best to just get the training out of the way so he could get on with his life. When he walked into the Batcave he saw his mentor sitting at the computer, locating the street Robin had met Shift on.

Without looking up, Batman said "Tell Artemis to meet me in the briefing room in 15 minutes."

He didn't give any acknowledgement that he had heard him but Batman knew he had. He stepped into the zeta tube and after a moment, he stepped out into the cave Mount Justice. A feminine voice said "Recognized, B01, Robin."

"Hey, Robin!" Kid Flash said running up to his friend, snack in hand.

"Hey, KF. Would you tell your girlfriend in green to meet Bats in the briefing room in 15 minutes? He has a job for her."

"Where are you going?" K F asked around the pizza in his mouth.

"I have been sentenced to three days of stealth training," Robin sighed.

"That seems a bit redundant, don't you think?" Wally asked cocking his head to the side.

"And repetitive."

"And redundant."

"And repetitive."

"And redundant." Wally finished.

"Anyways, go find her and give the message please."

"Sure thing!" he said before zooming off the girl in question. He went to the kitchen and found M'gann baking cookies. "Hey there, Sweet Heart. The Big Bad Bat needs you," Wally said leaning against the door frame.

She turned around shaking her head, trying to ignore his attempt to flirt. "For what, Wally?"

"He has a job for you. But you can always blow him off and come hang out with yours truly." He gave her a cheesy smile like he was actually expecting her to do what he suggested.

"I'm good, thanks. Where do I meet him?"

Wally pouted with his arms crossed, "Briefing room."

M'gann floated out of the kitchen and down to the Briefing room where Batman was waiting. She walked up to the table and greeted Batman.

"How may I help you, Ms. Martian?" he asked when he saw the martian walk up.

"I was told you were waiting for me," she responded confused.

"There seems to be a misunderstanding, I was waiting for Artemis." He paused for a moment the called out, "Robin!"

A ceiling tile overhead slid open and Robin's face appeared in its place. "Sir?"

"Though I admire you taking your stealth training seriously, you are still lacking. I believe I told you to get Artemis and not Ms. Martian."

Robin dropped down from the ceiling, landing lightly on his feet. "I told Kid Flash to get… his… Oh. I'll be right back." He ran out of the room and found Wally lying on the couch. "I thought your current interest was in Artemis not M'gann."

"I'll never stop being interested in the foreign beauties," Wally said with his eyes still closed.

"It's about to cause Bats to take my ass. Get Artemis, quick."

"Quick is…." Robin couldn't hear the rest of the sentence because the speedster had already run off to find the archer. Wally zoomed into Artemis's room, picked her up off her bed and carried her to the briefing room. "….My middle name."

"Just so you are aware, Baywatch, if you don't put me down in the next five seconds you are going to have an exploding arrow up your-"

Batman cleared his throat and stared at them. Wally set Artemis down and backed slowly out of the room. "Ms. Martian, you may go now."

"Yes, sir." She walked out as Artemis asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing of dire consequence. Robin has found a shape shifter and we need you to locate her." He pulled up a map and pointed to a street labeled 'Schimba'. "Robin met her here. You will montiter the area and speak with her if you see her. Don't let her know who you are, as in you will be going as Artemis Crock. No mask. Talk to her and get a feel for her."

"What do we know about her?"

"Robin will fill you in on that. Robin!"

"Damn it!" a voice from over head said.

"Oh just come down and fill me in," Artemis said with her hands on her hips.

~0~0~0~0~

I was spending the night at Jade's house on Friday night while her parents were out of town, when she came running into the living room waving a package in her hands.

"IT CAME! IT'S HERE! I HAVE THEM!" She screamed.

"What came? What's here? What do you have?" I asked her as a slightly demented grin spread across her face.

"I ordered throwing knifes," Jade said tearing into the package.

~0~0~0~0~

"Just aim at the box," Jade said handing me a knife.

"Heck yeah," I chuckled as I took the knife from her. It was maybe 5 inches long and black with black Paracord wrapped around the handle. I turned to face the cardboard box that she had nailed to the wall behind her door as a target. There were holes in the box from where the knife had hit but here were also holes in the wall around the box (hey, we're both new at this). I hurled the knife at the box and watched as it bounced off and imbedded itself in the wall.

"Well at least it stuck to something…."

"Don't worry about it the wall is banged up already. And you're just flicking your wrist too much, try it like this," Jade took another knife and threw it at the wall. It looked like it was going to hit under the box but it jerked up and hit square in the center.

"How did you…."

"Here, try again," she said shoving the last knife in my hand. When I threw the knife it stuck in the box but also knocked the box off the wall.

Jade walked over to set it back up but when she went to hang it again, the screw it was hanging on was gone.

"Where'd the screw go?" she asked searching the floor under the box.

"Screws fall out all the time Sir, the world is an imperfect place."

"What?"

"Have you never seen 'The Breakfast Club'?"

"No…"

I stared at her with my mouth open. "I'm sorry but we can't be friends anymore. I am not allowed to associate with unsophisticated people."

"What is it even about?"

"A group of high schoolers have Saturday detention and—I'm going to go get it. I can't explain its amazingness; it is something that has to be witnessed." I slipped my shoes on and headed for the front door. "Have popcorn ready when I get back and then maybe I will consider being friends with you again." I slipped out the front door and headed down the street to my house.

I unlocked my front door and ran upstairs to the movie rack. I have this obsession with things needing to be in alphabetical order. So I went to the 'B' section and snagged the DVD.

I went back down stairs and out the door. As I walked back to Jade's house I got the uneasy feeling that I was being watched. Looking around, I couldn't see anything or anyone but the hair on the back of my neck still stood on end. Somewhere, someone was watching me.

**and agian i say im sorry. i dont just love this chapter. i kinda dragged on, and on and on and on. well you get the idea. it took me a long time to update because i didnt like it but i need to get on with my life so here you go. please review. of if you have something amusing or out of the norm that you would like to share i would be happy to hear it. for example i know how to say supercalifragilisticexpialid ocious backwards. typing it is to easy but... anyways im rambling. review :D**


	12. Chapter 12: Sneaky As a Bear

**im sorry guys i have been so stuck with this story. i started this chapter the day after i posted the last one. school sucks, too. so im going to leave off with this bit by saying "Review if you were tearing out your hair waiting for this, as much as i was tearing out my hair trying to write it!" And i have changed my pen name up a little because Tempest pointed out an unwanted reference with the triple x's. so ive just taken those puppies out. so yes Shift.982 is still me :D**

Chapter 12

"She knows something," Artemis reported over her communicator. She was perched on top of a roof top, watching the girl she knew as Shift.

"What do you mean, 'knows something'?" Robin's voice asked. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, she's just paranoid. Now shut up and let me do my job."

"Hey I saw her first, that should be my mission."

"Again I repeat. Shut up and let me do my job."

"Let me know if something exciting happens," Robin said bitterly.

"What like if a bird poops on me?"

"It better be a robin if it does."

Artemis just ignored that last comment and continued watching the girl walk down the street. _You know if I wasn't a hero this would be really creepy. I am stalking a teenage girl. Yeah, no this is defiantly creepy._

~0~0~0~0~

I knew someone was watching me somewhere but I couldn't figure out why. I wouldn't let myself think that it was Robin again. He had more important things to do than hang around random neighborhoods, right? I continually checked around me as I walked, keeping my right hand wrapped around my knife in my pocket. I pulled my hood up over my head and continued walking. Unfortunately, hoods cut off your peripheral vision so I was practically turning in circles as I walked. Hearing something move off to my right, I froze. Whoever was watching me was getting sloppy.

~0~0~0~0~

"She's just walking down the road. Nothing interesting is happening," Artemis reported, impatiently rearranging herself into a more comfortable position.

"Just watch her. And see where she goes," Robin replied.

"She walked out of one house, walked into another, walked back to the first one and is now going right back to the second house. She keeps looking around like she knows I'm here. This is the most boring stake out ever."

"Just let her go on her way, now that we know where she lives maybe we can find out more about her," Robin said storing the newly found information to be used at a later time. She was intriguing. No other reason than that. Or at least that's what he told himself. He heard a faraway voice through the com in his ear. "What was that?" he demanded.

"She seems to know that I'm here, though I'm not sure how."

"I told you she was sharp. Talk to her."

"No way Bird Boy, Batman said this was strictly an observation."

"And that has always worked so well in the past."

"It's not happening."

Robin just sighed, pulling the com out of his ear. After setting the devise down, he pulled up his holograph computer and started typing away. "You'll thank me later," he mumbled when he hit the final button.

A deafening ring came through the communicator and straight into Artemis's ear, she yelped and dug the piece out of her ear before hurling it away from her. "Damn it, Robin!" she yelled.

~0~0~0~0~

"Who's there?" I demanded to the area around me. After a few seconds I heard someone yell and then scream out, "Damn it, Robin!"

There was a light thudding sound and a blonde girl appeared over the top of a fence to the right. She wore all green and even a mask. In her head she thought it was Artemis but she didn't appear to have a bow. "What do you want?" I demanded, pulling my hood lower over my face.

"Don't worry; I'm just here to talk to you. I'm Artemis."

"Shift. Why me in particular?"

"From what I hear, you are quite the shape shifter."

My eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"I'm on the same team as Robin."

"Oh," I said processing, "how's his shoulder?"

"What do you mean?"

"He had dislocated his shoulder when I helped him out. I'm guessing he didn't mention that little piece of information."

"No he did not."

We stood there awkwardly for a few minutes before Artemis asked, "Can you show me?"

"Show you what?"

"How you shape shift."

"Umm, I guess I could. Pick an animal," I told her.

"A bear."

"Ok," I said taking a step backwards. I closed my eyes, picturing every part of a black bear that I could think of. I grew taller and more muscular, coarse black hair sprouted all over my body, replacing my clothes. When I was done changing I stood on my hind legs and stretched in attempt to adjust to my new body. When I dropped back down onto all fours and shook myself I saw that Artemis's eyes were about as big as dinner plates. I gave a low growl and smiled with my bear teeth.

"I'm..."

I changed back into my normal self and with a smile, finished her sentence, "Whelmed?"

"An excellent way of putting it."

"Not that this hasn't been fun but I probably otta get back."

"Keep this conversation just between us," Artemis told her before I could turn to walk away.

"What am I going to tell anyone? That I met Artemis and impressed her with my ability to shape shift? No one else knows about this ability. I'd rather not advertise that. I'm enough of a freak already," I told her pulling back a sleeve; revealing the jagged scars covering my arm.

"Robin mentioned that," she said staring at my arm.

"Tell no one," I ordered, staring at her from beneath my hood.

She hesitated but then slowly nodded her head in a silent promise. "Good bye, Shift."

"G'night." I started walking away, back toward Jades house.

If I was going to start seeing heroes more often I needed something better than just a hood to hide who I am. They all had masks. I needed a mask. If I played my cards right I could figure out a mask that covered up my scars too. And gloves. I could wear elbow length gloves to cover up the scars on my arms too. _Whoa Jamie, you're getting ahead of yourself. You aren't a hero; you're just a girl that with scars that can suddenly change into random animals._

_I may not be a hero but I have helped out. This ability may make me a freak but I can at least be a helpful freak._

_ Who would want your help? You're nothing but a skinny, scared nobody. Irrelevant to the grand scheme of things. Not even a blip on the radar screen._

_ I can dream._

_ Leave it at dreams._

I continued fighting with myself as I walked back to Jade's house. I walked into the unlocked front door. The smell of popcorn greeted me when I walked into the kitchen. "So I see you still want to be friends," I snarked, leaning against the door frame.

"I figured I have nothing better to do," Jade said shrugging.

"Well bless your pointed little head."

"I will consider it blessed," she said with a half-assed curtsy.

I returned her curtsy with a half-assed bow of my own. "Now let's educate you in the way of "The Breakfast Club."

We plopped down on the couch and dove into the popcorn. "That took you a while to get back" Jade noted as the previews started playing.

"Just enjoying the night," I replied, smiling to myself. If I kept up with these night time meetings I don't know if I'll be able to contain my happiness. I would lose my reputation as the silent scared girl sitting by the door if I started giggling to myself in the middle of class. I needed a new outlet. And due to the most resent event, all I could think of was becoming a hero.

**please review guys! oh please oh please oh please be my prisoner (come on you know you were thinking it)**


	13. Chapter 13: Paint, Batcave and Plans

**hello! i have nothing important to say here exept thank you for the reviews! And who ever Reviewed as Guest: Artemis, THANK YOU! I love that kind of review. I dont know who you are but you are awesome! i really do apricieat it (and i still cant spell, whoo!)!**

Chapter 13

"Hey, Jamie! Come check out what's on the news!" was the sentence that woke me up the next morning.

I stumbled to my feet and hobbled my way into the living room where the TV was on. Jade was sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal in her lap. I turned my attention to the TV and had to control the look on my face.

The story was about an escaped black bear roaming around a nearby neighborhood. The picture was of me… as a bear. From the angle the picture was taken you couldn't see that Artemis, just a large bear with what looked like maul marks. The news reporter said that the bear was an escaped circus animal (they assumed from Haley's Circus) and if it was seen again to call the number on the screen.

I took all this in slowly, trying to process everything. I had been seen as a bear, does that mean they saw me change into a bear? Jade was looking at me, waiting for a reaction. I was screaming in my head but I couldn't let her know that I was pacing back and forth inside my head, tearing my hair out and cursing myself for being such an idiot for turning into a freaken bear in the middle of a neighborhood. "That's quite a story. Do they say which neighborhood it was seen in?"

"Ours," she replied still watching me closely.

_ Crap._

"I hope they catch it. It's not safe to have some crazy bear running around where people live." _Apparently it's not safe to have a crazy shape shifter running around either. She seems to know something but that's not possible. Is it? She wouldn't have any reason to…_

"Did you see anything last night when you went to get the movie?"

"Nary a bear." Not necessarily a lie. I didn't technically see myself.

Jade nodded her head like that was enough of an answer to keep her satisfied for the time being. But I knew the subject wasn't dropped. She walked back into the kitchen, "Hungry?" she asked.

"I feel like I could eat a bear."

It took her a second but she caught on. I received a glare and a half that I just chuckled at.

"How do you want your eggs?"

"Scrambled, just like my men."

"You're an idiot."

"People get us confused," I pointed out. Seriously, our own parents have called us by the other's name. It turns into a "Jamie! No, Jade! No! Gaaaahh! YOU!"

"It's not like we look that much alike. Just because we have the same hair color, same eye color, hang out a lot and tend to talk in the same way, doesn't mean that we are identical."

"I slapped some one that referred to us as 'J2'."

"Who the hell did that?" Jade asked and then thought about it.

"Wally," we said at the same time.

"The freaken ginger just can't keep to himself can he?" she asked as she pulled a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator.

"Of course not, that would be logical," I replied rolling my eyes.

Jade cracked eggs into a bowl and started beating them. I hopped up onto the counter. "Jeez Jade, what did those poor eggs ever do to you to deserve such treatment?" I asked with mock horror.

She pointed the whisk at me, dripping slaughtered egg guts onto the kitchen floor in doing so, and said in a demented voice, "You're next."

"And didn't you already eat?" I asked totally disregarding the threat.

"Your point? I'm a growing girl, need my potassium."

"Is that anything like protein?"

"You know what I mean."

After we finished eating and cleaning up the dishes we went back to Jade's room to throw more knifes. When we walked in and looked at the wall behind her door, all thoughts of throwing knifes were gone. The wall looked like it had been attacked by a weed eater. There were holes and gashes where we had missed our target last night. "That's not good," Jade said just staring.

"Very not good. Bad even, I would go as far as to say bad."

"Paint. I need paint. I bet we have left over in the garage." She ducked out of her room and ran into the garage. By the time I got in there she was already searching franticly through the random crap that had accumulated over the years. It was like she was wading through knee deep water, looking for something tiny from long ago. Not very likely to be found but she searched just as hard anyways. She stood up and held a can of paint up over her head. "I FOUND IT! Quick, to the Batcave!" (Apparently while I was imagining her swimming, she was imagining being Batman. Somehow I'm not surprised.)

We went back to her room and started painting over the holes in the wall. We didn't bother with brushes, just dipped our fingers into the can and finger painted on the wall.

"Does it seem too light to you?" I asked as I dabbed at another spot.

"It'll dry darker, right?" Jade was bordering on frantic since her parents were going to be home today.

"Not that much darker."

"Then we may have a technical problem."

"That's one way of putting it."

We finished covering everything up and went to the bathroom to wash the paint off our hands. I reached for the faucet and froze half way there. "Um… Jade, I figured out what color we found." My hand matched the bathroom walls.

"Shit, crap and damn," Jade said when she saw my hand.

"To the Batmobile?" I asked, pointing in the general direction of the garage.

"TO THE BATMOBILE!"

We started our search over again and came up empty handed. By the time we decided all hope was gone (and Jade started thinking about writing her will) and started heading inside I stopped and stared at the shelf above their washer and dryer. The paint that we had been killing ourselves looking for was sitting on the shelf, mocking us. I reached up and grabbed it then held it out to Jade. "Found it," I told her redundantly.

"TO THE BAT—" Jade started before I cut her off.

"Finish that sentence and you will eat paint."

She closed her mouth and calmly walked back to her room. We painting over the spots that we had covered up with the wrong color. Unfortunately, the original paint wasn't quite dry and they ended up mixing. We finished and stepped back to admire our handy work.

"Jade, your wall has leprosy," I told her, referring to the splotchy light patches all over the place.

"Tell no one of this little adventure we have just had."

"What you mean you don't want your parents to know that we threw knifes in your room, missed a few too many times, denting and making holes in your wall that we tried to cover up only to find that we had the wrong color paint, then painted over with the proper color making it look like your wall has a disease?"

"No."

"If'n you say so."

"I do say so."

"Yes, Oh High and Mighty Dictator of all things snarky." I said with mocking ah in my voice.

"That's Supreme High and Mighty Dictator to you."

We made sure everything was picked up then watched a Justice League documentary. We had our root beer and chocolate pudding and were happily munching away when we heard the front door being unlocked.

"Hey! We're home!" Jade's mom called from the front entry way.

"Hey!" we both called, getting up off the couch to go great them. They set their bags down and walked into the living room.

"Oh my gosh! Dad! What happened to your nose?" Jade squealed when she say her stepdad's face. His nose had clearly been broken. His eyes were blood shot and he had a huge ugly bruise covering most of his swollen face. It was a deep purple in the middle with yellow streaks through it and an angry red color around the edge. It looked awful. And he want very nice to look at to begin with but this just put him over the top with the nasty ratings.

"Hunting accident," he snapped at her.

Jade may not like the guy but I could tell she was hurt by his response.

He mumbled something about going to the bathroom or something and when he nodded his head in the direction he was intending to go, I say a thin red line around his neck, like a cut.

"Well I'm going to get out of ya'lls way so you can get settled in," I told her mom.

"Alright, Jamie. Thanks for keeping Jade company, hope you had fun."

"No problem and I did." I turned to Jade and said, "Let me know," referring to her stepdads broken nose.

"Yeah, I'll keep you posted." Then she whispered, "And remember, not a word."

I smiled and nodded then grabbed my keys and walked out the door.

~0~0~0~0~

"Luke, you know that we have screwed ourselves over here, right?" Lilly asked her brother as they sat on a park bench, trying to figure out their next move.

"Yes Lilly, I know," he said leaning back against the bench, letting his head drop back behind him. They couldn't go back to the apartment where they lived because Haunt could find them now, and that was currently the very last thing that they wanted. They had made their boss their enemy, a very powerful and very unforgiving. "First we need a plan."

"No, first we need a place to stay. Park benches are not comfortable to sit on, much less sleep on."

"Well what's your brilliant plan Lil? Please, enlighten me," Luke said exasperatingly.

"If you would just trust me, and follow me, all will go well."

"And again I ask; what's your plan?"

"Take us to Gotham."

Lilly reached out and grabbed Luke's arm. Luke looked into his twin's weird blue eyes that matched his own. Those were the eyes he trusted all his life, no one else's. It was in Gotham that they had failed their last mission and had finalized the rift between the Ghost Twins and Haunt. It was the place that had started them on this search for a new home. So they would return to where their lives had started ending and take it back. He smiled his Ghost smile and said, "To Gotham."

They disappeared without a trace with the blink of an eye.

**incase you havent figured it out, Luke can teliport, we havent gotten to a point that Lilly uses her power, but that will be coming. i gave the Ghost Twins ghosty poweres**


	14. Chapter14:Busted, Pixie Dust & Creatures

Chapter 14

"She can defiantly shape shift," Artemis reported back at the Watchtower.

"We've known that she can shape shift, is that all you learned?" Batman asked, lifting an unseen eyebrow beneath his cowl.

"Well, she knew that I was there somehow. I'm not sure how but she did. Like she has a 6th sense or something like that." Artemis paused for a moment and smiled mischievously, "Almost like a Bat."

Batman gave Artemis a Batglare. "No."

"Maybe more like a mini Bat then?"

Robin appeared out of nowhere and fixed her with a Batglare of his own. "No."

Artemis couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Nothing pissed off the Bat or his protégé like suggesting there could be other "bats" out there. They prided themselves in thinking they were the only people capable of doing what they did in the way that they did. They didn't have problems with other heroes but they did have problems with other heroes encroaching on their cave (or territory, whatever you want to call it).

"What did she say?"

"She asked how Robin's shoulder was," Artemis said coolly.

Robin's face turned bright red beneath his domino mask, and absent mindedly cradled his right arm.

"Robin? Did you forget to mention something in your report?"

"Must have slipped my mind."

"Yes, as slippery as your mind is –" Artemis quirked but stopped talking when she saw that Batman was towering over Robin.

"Arm," Batman demanded, holding out his hand. Then he turned to Artemis, "We will continue this at another time."

She left Robin and Batman to sort out their…. Family? Personal? Cavely? Well, whatever kinda problems those two have. There are no words to describe the relationship between Batman and Robin. I take that back, they are the Dynamic Duo. That is the only description they get, the only description possible.

"What happened?" Batman asked Robin after Artemis had left the room.

"I dislocated my shoulder the night I met Shift," Robin said honestly, knowing that there was no other way to deal with the situation.

"Why was this not put in the report?" he asked examining Robin's still pain-filled shoulder.

"I've had a ton of dislocated shoulders, Bats. You know from back in the old days," Robin said, referring to when he was an acrobat in the circus. With all the different things they did, dislocations were a common event. And the only way to fix it is to pop it back in and give it a rest. And in this particular line of work, resting isn't exactly an option.

"It is still relevant. We file everything. We gather information, we analyze that information and then we make decisions based off of that information. We cannot make a logical decision if we don't have all the information. As detectives this is vital to understand."

"How does knowing that Zeke dislocated my shoulder help us solve anything?" Robin asked in a exasperated voice.

"It tells us why you didn't go after him and some random shape shifter did. It gives us the reason for her sudden appearance; she was trying to save you."

"I was fine. I didn't need saving," Robin was suddenly very defensive.

"And yet it was Shift that tackled Zeke, took him to the ground, got back your utility belt and untied you. Clearly you did need help." Batman rotated the boy's shoulder then released his arm.

"Before you say anything, I know that I need to do the shoulder exercises. And I know that I am not going on any missions until it's healed."

"Right and wrong. Yes do the exercises but you will be going on one mission in particular. Back to talk with Shift. But you will take Kid Flash with you. When you find her, figure out a way to get her to Gotham. We will talk to her on top of Wayne Tower. Dismissed," Batman said. He watched Robin walk out of the room to go find Kid Flash before leaving himself.

~0~0~0~0~

"So what happened?" I asked Jade over the phone that night.

"He says the butt of the gun slipped off his shoulder from the recoil and pegged him in the face. I've shot the guns they were using to hunt with, neither of them have a strong enough recoil to do that. He's lying."

"What do you thing actually happened?"

"Don't know, don't care?"

"Humor me."

"Well," Jade thought for a moment then replied. "You see what happened was God called up his pal Doctor Fate to wreak some well-deserved vengeance with an obnoxiously huge production involving a semi-truck, a small herd of deer, a jack hammer and Batman's car."

"No seriously, what you think happened?" I asked, though I was unable to get the image of a deer driving the Batmobile in full Batman costume.

"He stole a leprechaun's gold."

"No, really."

"A dollop of fairy dust."

"Jade-"

"He ripped the tag off a mattress."

"JADE!"

"I don't know Jamie. He won't tell me anything and I'm to the point that I just don't care," she said exasperatedly.

The line was quiet for a few seconds before I could think of anything to say. "Did they notice the wall?"

"Nope," I could hear the smile back in her voice, "They just walked in and said my room looked clean."

"Point for us."

"Hey, did you do the English paper we are supposed to be working on?"

"I've stated it but haven't gotten very far."

"What topic are you doing it on?"

"Whether or not superheroes are good role models."

"Awesome. Mine is on gun control."

"Didn't you already write that paper on gun control?"

"What's your point?"

"Have none, just checking," I said smiling. This would be the third time she has turned in this paper and our teacher still hadn't noticed.

"Hey, what time is practice tomorrow morning?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Starts at 4:30 and ends at 6:30 after school."

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay, bye," I hung up the phone.

I set my phone on my night stand and picked up my book. It was about Fire Lizards, basically miniature dragons. A girl had nine of these mythological beasts. My brain roamed as I read, fantasizing about the winged creatures. It got me wondering. I had changed into real animals before but what about the mythological ones? Could I change into those too? I stood up from my bed, still holding the book in my hands. I studied drawing on the front cover of the fire lizards. Closing my eyes, I willed myself to take the shape of a fire lizard. When I opened my eyes back up and hummed softly. I crawled over to my mirror and saw that I was indeed a fire lizard.

This has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I can change into anything I can imagine. I shifted back into my normal human form and hurried over to my book shelf. I started pulling book after book of my shelf. Mythology. Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them. Beginners Guide to Hunting Monsters. Every book I had on mythological creatures.

I spent the rest of the night memorizing everything I could about these mythical beasts so I would have every beast possible on hand if I ever needed it. Life just keeps getting better and better.

~0~0~0~0~

"Now that we are here, care to tell me what your wondrous plan is?" Luke asked his twin as soon as they were in Gotham.

"What do you always hear about Gotham?"

"You mean besides the lovely breakfast pastries?" he asked sarcastically. Lilly just stared at him.

"That Batman keeps the rouges on the run or locked up."

"So we rally together all the rouges, starting in Gotham, to start a full out riot, too much for The Bat to handle and we have free rein of whatever we want in the city. But this isn't just limited to Gotham. We can go after Central City, Star City, whatever city we feel the need to terrorize."

Luke pondered her plan for a moment the narrowed his eyes at his sister, "How long have you been sitting on this plan?"

"How long had we been working for Haunt?" she answered his question with a question.

"Alright, then what's our first step?"

Lilly smiled at her brother in such a way that he felt the need to take half a step back. "How do you feel about orange jump suits?"

**Yeah I had to put a little bit of Llamas with hats into my story. If you haven't heard of that and enjoy a good morbid laugh I highly suggest you look up Llamas with Hats on youtube. There are 4 of them but each has its own morbid humor. I love them. It will get to the point where you can quote all of them. *coughlikeicancough***

**And also some lion king….**

**And the book I referenced is Dragonsinger. The whole humming thing is something that the fire lizards do a lot so I figured it would fit in nicely. It's by Anne McCaffrey and is the first book in one of my favorate series ever! Must read!**

**And those are also all books that I have. I like my mythological creatures :D**

**And just a little fun fact, the whole throwing knifes at the wall and painting over the holes with the wrong color first time around did actually happen. And I did say it looked like the wall had leprosy. **


	15. Chapter 15: Meetings

**I know I suck. I didn't update last week and I am a terrible person. But I don't really feel like writing when I get two reviews. Come on people, it's not that hard to do. There's even a nifty little button at the bottom that makes it nice and easy for you.**

**On a different note, is there anything you would like to see happen in the story? I am more than open for suggestions.**

**Ok, ranting over, enjoy the chapter.**

Chapter 15

After I got home from practice, I ate dinner and showered. I snagged my pillow, blanket and book off my bed and headed out onto the roof. I spent as much time as I could out there, just in case. Once I got settled and all comfy under the blanket, I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of stretchy black fabric. It was actually a book sock, you know, the kind you put on your school text books. I had been playing with the idea of making a mask for myself but hadn't done any more than get the fabric. Where do the superheroes get there costumes from anyways? Is there a "Heroes 'R' Us" where everyone gets all their costumes and weapons?

I got tired of fiddling with the wanna be mask, so I shifted into a black cat and leaped lightly onto the main roof. I decided to wonder around the block a bit, it was a nice night out. I thought about changing into a dog but thought it best to stay in the form I was in. Cat are always roaming around at night, but when someone sees a dog walking around they want to take it home and keep it as a pet.

I walked over to the street light that I had helped Robin at. Looking up from my significantly lower vantage point than usual, I could see what looked like a sticker of the Robin sign on the post. I placed my front paws up as high as I could and stretched my head up to try and get a better look. I was right. It was a Robin sign.

I ran in between two houses and shifted into human form. I pulled the hood of my jacket up and tugged it low over my eyes again. I walked back out and stood under the lamp post.

"How's your shoulder?" I asked in a low voice.

Robin melted out of the shadows and came to stand under the light. "Back in place at very least."

"I'm gonna assume you wanted to talk to me, seeing as you're here and not chasing a mobster."

"Very true," he turned back to the shadow he was previously occupying and said, "Hey KF, come meet Mutt."

Kid Flash zoomed out of the shadow and came to a halt next to Robin. "Nice to meet you Mutt, I'm Kid Flash," he said pointing both thumbs at himself.

"It's Shift, not Mutt, and nice to meet you."

"What's with the name confusion?"

"Robin seems to be under the impression that Mutt is a better name for me than Shift."

"It does have a nice ring to it…" Kid Flash said nodding his head.

"Ya'll got to pick out your names, so I should be able to pick out mine," I told them, crossing my arms.

"Why would you pick Shift when there are so many other options out there?" Kid Flash asked.

"Why would you pick Kid Flash when there are so many other options out there?" I countered. That shut him up.

"As I said before, we are here for a reason. Batman would like to talk to you. Could you get to Gotham tomorrow night?" Robin asked. "We will be waiting for you on top of Wayne Tower."

_Crap it's a school night. Hmmm…. School or Batman, School or Batman…. Batman it is!_

"Sure I can be there."

"We'll be waiting," Robin replied.

"Would you like to actually disappear to the top of a light post again or shall I beat you to the chase?"

"What does she mean by again, Rob?" Kid Flash asked, raising an eyebrow.

I just smiled and motioned for Robin to answer the question.

"My usual escape didn't quite go as planned last time. Mutt managed to Robin me…." He said the last part very quietly.

I could tell that Kid Flash was trying to hold back his laughter but he seemed to be losing the battle. "You got… Robined? That… that is….. That has no possible description in the English dictionary! Quick Robin, make up a word to describe the utter irony of that!"

"You want me to create and arm you with a tool to ridicule me with? That would be ridicrule!"

:3( )~~

"Wally!" our art teacher thumped her ruler on his desk, right next to his head, "No sleeping in class."

He shot straight up, his eyes wide. Jade and I chuckled at his hair that was in disarray. "Looks like Mouth over there had a late night," Jade said turning back around to face me.

I yawned and nodded my head.

"What's up with you? You're as tired as Wally is."

"I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why?"

Of course I hadn't prepared for this question, "I don't know. Just too much happening I guess."

"Jamie, I know you. I know how much you love sleep. And I know that it would take an awful lot to keep you from it. So I ask again, what is with you?"

"I've been staying up late. Just, you know, doin' stuff."

"Must be some pretty important stuff."

"I think it is. Other people would probably think it was stupid but whatever," I said, putting the last few brush strokes on the piece I was working on.

"What is it?"

"If I told you that I would have to kill you. And you wouldn't want that." Because I have a crazy and slightly delusional mind I immediately start thinking of the different animals and the different ways they could kill a person. The one I came up with for a whale was more than just a little biblical.

"No, really. What are you doing?"

"It's a secret. I wasn't kidding about the whole 'I'd have to kill you' thing."

She just looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I guess I'll just have to figure it out for myself."

I just made a nondescript sound in reply. _I seriously doubt that she will figure out what I'm hiding. _There was another thud of the art teacher's ruler slamming the table next to Wally's head again. He snapped up and had his hand in front of him like one might have if they were in a fighting stance. "Get behind me!" he shouted. When he realized everyone was looking at him he slowly continued, "I was in line first."

"Mr. West, I would suggest you get more sleep at night. Because if this happens again I will not hesitate to send you to the office." She gave him a stern look and walked away.

:3( )~~

Around 11:30 that night I crawled out on to my roof again. I still hadn't figured out the whole mask thing so I was right back to the black jacket with the hood. I changed into a black falcon and took off for Gotham.

It was a clear, still night. When I arrived at Wayne Tower I dropped down and perched on top of one of the gargoyles. I didn't see Batman or Robin, but that didn't mean anything. They could be hiding in any one of the dark shadows. I jumped down off the gargoyle and then circled it, taking in every detail I could. I changed into a gargoyle that matched the one next to me and waited.

:3( )~~

"It doesn't seem as though she has arrived," Batman said to Robin.

"She wouldn't miss this. She'll be here," Robin told him as he continued scanning the roof top.

They were standing in front of me, unaware that there was an extra sculpture behind them. "How kind of you to express such faith in me, Robin." I had recently figured out that if I shifted certain aspects of my mouth while I was shifted into a different creature, I could still talk.

They both drew a Batarang and were prepared to throw it at who ever had snuck up on them, but when they turned around they didn't see any one there.

"Whoa! I don't think you're supposed to stab the person you're trying to meet." I said turning around, still looking like a gargoyle.

"Shift?" Robin asked hesitantly.

I changed into my human form with my hood pulled low. "The one and only."

Batman studied me from beneath his cowl. "You are the one that helped Robin." It was a statement, not a question

"Yes sir."

"And the one that chomped down on Zeke's arm."

"As a dog, yes.

"Show me," Batman demanded.

"As you can see, Batman is known for his manners and hospitality," Robin said motioning to Batman.

"Are you sure there aren't cameras or anything like that up here? Because last time I shifted in public there were people freaking out about a bear getting lose."

"That was you?"

"That was me when I met Artemis. She asked for a demonstration too."

"A bear is not necessary; the dog you turned into will do just fine."

I changed into the big black dog again. Faster than my eyes could track, Batman grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and shoved a mold into my mouth. He was holding down my tongue, forcing my mouth open so I couldn't bite his hand then pulled it out and released me.

Out of surprise, my fur started turning white. Before they could see me turn all the way white I changed back into a person. "What was that for?!" I demanded, awkwardly licking my teeth in attempts to get the nasty tasting teeth mold stuff off.

"I needed a mold of your teeth to compare with the bite marks on Zeke's arm."

"I would have given you one had you just asked."

Ignoring my comment, Batman continued on to the next topic. "Have you lent aid anywhere other than with Robin?"

"I released the Marie girl here in Gotham when the Ghost Twins kidnapped her," I told him.

I didn't think that it was possible for Batman to be surprised but I seemed to have achieved that feat.

"That was you?" Robin asked. "I thought that was Tempest."

"Well, she didn't know I was there. She was a bit busy trying to fend off Ghost. So I changed into a rat and gnawed through the tape that held her, then she grabbed me and ran."

"What happened to Tempest and the Ghost Twins?"

"I don't know. I had been rat-napped at that point."

"Anyways, Batman, could you get to the point here," Robin asked eagerly.

Batman sighed and looked at his protégé. "I would like you to be trained for the team." My face lit up. (Not that they could see it, but it did)

"Like Robin and Artemis's team?"

"Well you aren't joining The Justice League." I didn't know that sarcasm was even in Batman's vocabulary.

"So, just like that I'm in? That seems a little too easy," I said skeptically.

"As I said before, you will need training. Have you ever done martial arts?"

"For seven years, I have my black belt."

"It's a start I suppose. What weapons do you know how to use?"

"Guns, archery, swords, nunchucks, knifes and throwing knifes," I said counting them off on my fingers. "But I have the most experience with hand to hand fighting, guns and archery."

All the shadows seemed to be suck toward Batman at the mention of guns. "You can forget about the guns when you are on the team. They are forbidden when you are wearing your mask."

"And on that note, you are gonna need a uniform," Robin added in.

"Yes, your hood won't do you much good on the job."

"Now, that is something I have always wondered, where does everyone get there uniforms?"

Robin smiled a slow creepy smile, "We have connections."


	16. Chapter 16: Who Needs Sleep?

**I don't know if anyone noticed but I figured out how to type a rat :3( ) ~~ I was probably a little too excited about that but I don't care. But here is the next the chapter with much wallyness in it! Is there anything you want to happen in the story? If there is I would be more than happy to listen and work in what I can! Enjoy and review! and to said they ship Jamie and Wally, you make me laugh, that thought hadnt even acured to me. lol. thank you for your review!**

Chapter 16

_SMACK!_

The ruler landed about two inches away from my nose. "Jamie, that was your last warning, now give me your chair," my art teacher told me.

I slowly stood up and pushed my chair over so it was by the wall. My meeting with Batman and Robin had gone great but I was too excited the rest of the night to sleep. I had drawn about twenty different uniform ideas before I decided on one I would actually be willing to wear. The longer I worked on them the more I considered the idea that I might be able to shape shift just my clothes. I had tried but hadn't been able to get it to work. And now I had to pay for my all-nighter.

Jade just looked at me, I could tell that she was debating if she was going to laugh at me or pity me. I didn't really need either of them. "You might want to wipe the drool off the desk, Jamie," she said sarcastically.

"Some friend you are, you could have woken me up before she slapped her ruler again. My ears are still ringing." She knew I was only half way kidding.

"And by the way, you snore."

"I do not," I said trying to defend myself.

She imitated an obnoxious old man snore and gave me a look that said "that was you."

"Oh, bite me."

"Where and how hard?"

"My foot as I shove it down your throat." This little banter happens often enough the saying the whole thing isn't really necessary, we could just make the faces that go along with them.

"But she's right, you do snore," Wally piped up from the other table.

"Shut up, Mouth," we said in unison.

"But it's true, you do," he insisted.

"Could you take your soulless self to someone else's conversation?" I said making a shoeing motion with my hand.

"Why don't you guys like me?" he asked pouting.

"Well let's see here; you mock the sport that we love—" Jade said.

"That was a—" Wally tried to interrupt but Jade just kept going.

"You can't keep your pasty freckled nose out of our business-"

"I was just trying to—"

"You eat freaken everything—"

"I'm hungry—"

"I keep interrupting you for a reason, Wally, shut up. Now where was I?"

"You were saying that he eats everything," I informed her while standing next to the desk, suddenly feeling wide awake.

"Ah, yes. You are an insufferable know it all."

"I-"

"You don't take anything seriously and you sleep in class like all the time."

"Yeah," Jamie stated. Jade turned and looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"You're not much better in that department," she pointed out and I sighed.

Wally continued staring at us, which we of course ignored. The bell rang and we headed off to our different classes. My mind kept wondering to the designs I had made last night. The one I decided on was a sleeveless black shirt, trimmed in red. The collar came up in the back then dropped down to meet in a point in the front. There was a thin red strip down the middle with three other stripes on either side that went up like a "V". The overall effect closely resembled the veins on a leaf. The bottom of the shirt kinda resembled coat tails that wrapped around to the front and met at the middle stripe. My mask was tricky to design since it had to cover the scars on my face as well as protect my identity. I made it so it was wide on the right side and narrowed down to the size of a normal mask on the left. There is a "S" with sharp angles across the front of the mask, dancing around the whited out eye holes. To hide the scars on my hands and arms I had black elbow length gloves. The pants were just simple black leggings for easy movement.

When I had decided to use the power I developed to help other people, I also decided that every animal I shifted into would we black. Like a trade mark type thing.

:3( )~~

When school finally got out and when guard practice was over, I dumped my back pack and equipment in my car and scanned the empty parking lot. It was a great day for a run. I ducked behind my car and changed into a big black fuzzy dog. I enjoyed being a dog. I didn't have to worry about problems I might be having or who was staring at my scars. I could just roam around and enjoy myself. I started heading down the street that my school was on and saw a yellow blur that I assumed to be Kid Flash. He stopped on the street corner up ahead and scanned the area around him. When he saw me loping towards him he pulled off his goggles and grinned.

"Hey, pooch. Where's your home?" he asked assuming I was a stray dog. I'd have to remember a collar or something next time so people didn't try to take me home. He held his hand out for me to smell. Knowing that I had to keep up the whole dog thing, I sniffed his hand and licked it. Taking this as a sign of acceptance he used his other hand to scratch me behind my ear.

"You sure are cute, pup. Do you know and tricks?" he asked.

I don't know what is with people and asking animals questions (not saying that I don't but I still don't know why I do), it's not like they can answer back.

"Sit," he commanded.

I sat. He reached down to pet me again and when he did I jumped up and licked his face, just to see what his reaction would be. It was well worth it. He jumped backward and made a big production of wiping the dog spit off his face.

"What was that for you mangy mutt?" he asked, and then stopped, thinking.

I realized what he was thinking and ran off and hid.

"Mutt… Shift, was that you?"

It's a good thing that he still had patrolling to do; because there was no way I could have out run him.

I went back to my car and drove home where I proceeded to catch up on my sleep.

**ill try to post the next chapter tomarrow but i cant make any promises. and im sorry ive been so spacy with the updates. compitition season is eating my lunch. please review.**


	17. Chapter 17: Tempest in the Jungle

Ok, I'm back. Enjoy and review.

P.s. Physical therapy sucks

Chapter 17

"You know Jade, the song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' is only ever a whim away… a whim away, a whim away, a whim away, a whim away. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight."

"Seriously? You went there?"

"Never underestimate my power to get a song stuck in your head."

"Just shut up and let me drive, Jamie," Jade said. She was dropping me off back at my house after our day of shopping. No, we weren't out looking at clothes and shoes. We were at Cabela's: my happy place, looking at guns, knives, various archery things and camping supplies. And fudge. Cabela's has awesome fudge.

"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight," I sang very softly.

"Jamie, I am going to kick you in the face if you keep that up," Jade warned.

"Noted."

"And it's going to be when you least expect it."

"Always a daily surprise."

We sat in silence for a minute or two before I started humming the song. Jade reached over and turned up the volume of the radio, drowning out my humming with her country music. So belted it out in the off key way that seems to be the only way I can sing.

"Jamie, you make me want to crash the car," Jade whined over the music.

"That seems a bit extreme."

"Really? 'Cause it seems perfectly reasonable to me."

I turned down the radio to its normal volume and sat quietly in the passenger seat, and pulled out my phone. I knew that Jade's phone was in her purse so my plan would work perfectly.

_"A whim away, a whim away, a whim away, a whim away." _I texted her.

She pulled up into my drive way and said good bye.

I stopped as I was walking up my drive way and turned around, mouthing the song to her. She laid on the horn and narrowed her eyes at me.

Laughing, I walked into my house and locked the door behind me.

:3( )~~

I pulled out of Jamie's drive way and headed back to my house. _I think I'll go on patrol tonight. Who needs sleep anyways?_

By the time I was home, Mom and Dad were both at work and my little sister Kenna was in preschool. So I had the house all to myself. I dumped my purse on my bed and pulled the cover off the fake vent I made in my bedroom. I reached inside and pulled out a locked box that had carvings of the different elements on it. I unlocked it with the key I always kept on a string around my neck. Inside was my uniform. My Tempest uniform.

I slipped on the grey and black clothing and grabbed the various knives I had stashed around my room and tucked them into my belt. Once I was sure I had everything I opened my window and slipped out and created a wind tunnel to carry me up to the roof tops.

_In the jungle, the mighty jungle,_ I thought to myself. _Dang it, Jamie!_

The sun was setting with brilliant oranges and pinks, the light turned the once white clouds purple. I sat there and waited for darkness where no one else could see me.

I left my roof top and hopped from roof top to roof top by controlling the wind currents. There is nothing like flying. It's not like I had wings or anything like that, I could control the elements. It came in handy. Not just with crime fighting but with everyday life. For example, the water fountain at school doesn't shoot the water up high enough? No problem, I'll just will the water closer so I can get a nice drink of cool water. Being able to control earth is just more entertaining than anything; people only think that they are tripping over flat surfaces. I can adjust my aim by manipulating the air like I had with the throwing knifes.

All I ever did in the way of crime fighting was patrol my neighborhood. I would stop the occasional person breaking in to cars, vandalizing or if I was lucky a house robbery. I never spoke to anyone, they would try to thank me but I would leave before they could recognize me. I had no mask but that never seemed to matter. As Tempest, people just excepted that I would come and go as I pleased, and as Jade, I didn't talk much either, with the exclusion of talking to my close friends.

As I was going from roof top to roof top on that particular night I noticed that Jamie's front door was standing open. They would never be so careless as to not lock the door so I went down to inspect it closer. There was splintering around where the deadbolt was. Someone had broken into my friend's house and I knew that she was home.

I slipped inside and made myself hover about two inches off the ground so I wouldn't make any noise as I moved. I heard rummaging upstairs and headed up that way. From the best that I could tell just by the sound the intruder was in Mr. Knote's office. When I got to the top of the stairs I peeked around the corner and looked down the hallway to the right. The light was off in the office but enough light came in through the west facing window to show the outline of a hulking man rummaging through his desk.

When I passed Jamie's bedroom she slammed into me with her bow drawn. Luckily the darkness concealed my identity. I motioned into the office; she peeked in but never lowered the poised arrow from my chest. Once she saw the man, she rushed in, threw on the light, using her shoulder and shot the arrow into the intruder's foot. He screamed in pain and I rushed in and sent a gust of wind to encase him. Once he was immobilized I realized my vulnerable position, I pulled up the tube of black fabric I kept around my neck for just such emergencies so that from my nose down was hidden, and shook my head so that my hair fell to cover more of my face.

Jamie turned and looked at me for the first time. She already had another arrow notched but it wasn't drawn. Her eyebrows pressed together in a frown above her scared face.

"The police are already on their way if you would like to avoid questioning," she said to me, still giving me a look.

I nodded and made to step around her, then stopped. The man was still bound in the wind I had surrounding him, preventing him from any movement. If I left now, though it would hurt like hell, he could still move. I made a motion communicating my concern.

She understood and responded with, "I'll get the zip ties." Jamie walked out of the office and back into her bedroom. I heard her flip the light switch and rummage around in a drawer. She reappeared with a hand full of plastic ties in her hand, humming In the Jungle. She handed them to me and picked up her bow again.

"I don't trust either of you. You can tie him up and I'll keep hold of my bow. Once that is done, from what I have heard about you Tempest, is you can make your escape from any level. Bind him and then you may leave through the window.

I took the plastic ties and hog tied the man that was still whimpering inside his wind bonds. When I was done I moved toward the window and opened it. Before I could leap out, Jamie spoke again.

"I saw you, you know, when you fought the Ghost Twins at the Winter Guard competition. You lit the building on fire. I'm the one that saved Marie, not you."

I was baffled. Jamie hadn't been in the gym, she had been running around the building looking for me. Well for Jade, but that's the same thing. Without responding, leaned over, lit the fletching of the arrow in the guy's foot on fire and jumped out the window and took to the air.

:3( )~~

She made no comment to what I told her but lit the arrow in the guy's foot on fire instead. Almost like she was saying "Got a problem with me lighting things on fire?"

Once she was gone I put out the small fire that had now ruined one of my arrows, and those things are expensive, dang it. I looked down at the man that had broken into my house, "You picked the wrong house to screw with."

When he opened his mouth, he let loose a long string of profanities that I would rather not repeat. Let's just say that I have been called worse by better. I kicked the foot that still had an arrow sticking out of it and grabbed the duct tape my dad keeps in his desk. "See if you had been paying attention as you were digging through the desk you would have realized that the tape was close at hand, or in your case, close at mouth," I told him as I put a strip of the silver tape over his mouth. He continued trying to scream at me through the tape, so I kneeled down next to him and pinched his nose closed. "The tape was a hint to shut up. I can make sure you do or you can behave like a good little burglar and keep quiet until the police come to get you."

I let go of his nose and picked up the bag he had been shoving my family's things into. I emptied its contents onto my dad's desk. He had grabbed at least half of my dad's dragon figurine collection.

"Seriously? This is what you go after? You are a sorry excuse for a thief," I told the man lying on the floor. "Shall we recap? You broke into my house, quite noisily might I add, assuming that no one was home because you didn't see any cars out front. For future reference, I park my car outside the cul-de-sac. You ignored the electronics downstairs in the living room and came straight upstairs to my dad's office, again passing up the computer down the other side of the hall way and passed by my bed room in which I have a collection of swords, knives, throwing knifes, my bow and arrows. And you take dragons. If you wanted a dragon you should have just asked," I stood up. "I can give you a dragon."

I shifted into the biggest dragon I could due to the size of the room and placed my front feet on either side of the man's body. I opened my mouth, revealing my multiple rows of razor sharp teeth and breathed literal dragon breath into his face. His eyes were wide and I could see that he was breathing fast. I used my dragon hands to pinch his nose closed again, keeping my dragon face in his so that that was the last thing he saw before he passed out. I knew from karate training that cutting off the air to the brain would screw up some one's memory so I held on just long enough for him to forget that I had changed into a dragon, and even if he did remember he would be written off as crazy and probably get landed in Arkham. I can't really say that I'm sorry to hear that, to be honest.

I shifted back into my human form as I heard the police sirens. When they pulled up and came to a screeching stop I stuck my head out the window Tempest had left from and waved to the police men. "I got the guy! He's up here."

The men rushed into my house and up the stairs. They told me to get back when they saw me but then all stopped short when they saw that the intruder was hog tied, had an arrow in his foot, had duct tape over his mouth and was currently unconscious. I was perched on the corner of my dad's desk, quiver of arrows on my back and fiddling with the bow in my hands.

"Did you…" one of the officers started to ask but then stopped as if that was a ridiculous idea.

"I did," I confirmed, pulling my bow string wax out of a pocket on the side of my quiver and proceeded to apply the wax as they stood there with their mouths open.

"Ma'am, could you please step out of the room and let the professionals get this man out of your house?"

"Have at it. The dragon figurines on the desk is what he tried to take, you can see the dust outlines on the shelf that he got them off of, if that is any help to you." I walked out of the room then stuck my head back in the door way and asked, "Do you know who the guy is? He looks familiar."

"He's a mobster named Zeke. He has been seen around this neighborhood recently but was chased off by some one's dog.

I busted out laughing and left the office again and couldn't stop even as I put my bow and arrows away.

:3( )~~

I got home after helping at Jamie's house, figuring I had done my good dead for the day and thus had met my quota. I crawled back in my window and plopped onto my bed. I felt around blindly for my phone and unlocked it.

One unread message. From Jamie.

_Okay, she wouldn't text me "I know your secret." So why am I worried?_

I opened the message and had to resist throwing my phone against the wall.

"A whim away, a whim away, a whim away, a whim away," it read.

**I realized this happens a lot, I type scared as in the past tense of scar and it looks like scared as in terrified, I would like to clarify this, I'm not saying that Jamie was 'terrified' I'm referring to the scars on her face.**


	18. Chapter 18: Deseption and Plans

**There is an author's note at the bottom that will be very helpful for later on in the chapter. It becomes relevant when the POV goes to the ghost twins.**

Chapter 18

I walked into my art class and dumped my bag on the floor. When I stood back up Wally was sitting in the chair across from me.

"I saw you on the news last night," Wally said, plopping his elbows on the table.

"And he's back," I muttered.

"Someone broke into your house," he pressed.

"Really? Why didn't anyone tell me? Maybe I could have done something about it!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"The police dragged him out with an arrow in his foot, duct tape over his mouth and his hands and feet zip tied together. And I'm pretty sure that that isn't police protocol."

"Is the point coming soon?"

"Did you do all of that?" he asked plopping his hands down on the table and leaning closer.

Before I would reply with some witty remark, Jade walked up to Wally and crossed her arms. "You're in my seat."

"First come, first serve."

"I said, you're in my seat," Jade repeated.

"There is another spot right there," he said, pointing to the seat next to me.

"Jade, please take a seat so I can start my class," our teacher called.

Jade moved around the table and sat in the seat beside me, never once taking her eyes off Wally.

"So come on, spill."

"Well, _Wallace_, you seem to know the whole story already so I have nothing left to say."

"Nothing left to say about what?" Jade asked with a confused look on her face.

I sighed, knowing that answering Jade's question would be answering Wally's question but I couldn't help that. "Someone broke into my house last night and I took him out," then thought for a moment, "with some help."

"Someone broke into your house!?" Jade screeched.

"Help? The news didn't say anything about you having help." Wally said cocking his head, disregarding Jade's banshee moment.

"Wally, could you please excuse me while I yell at Jamie," Jade said smiling sweetly.

"But—" Wally started but stopped when Jade shot him a look that if held of too long I'm pretty sure will cause spontaneous combustion. He slunk back to his normal seat and Jade turned and looked at me like my keeping quiet was ridiculous.

"Why didn't you tell me that someone broke into your house?"

"I just hadn't gotten around to it. I took care of the guy and Tempest showed up and gave me a hand. She nearly got herself shot though."

Jade kept her emotions carefully in check and responded with, "What do you mean shot?"

"I had my bow. I almost shot Tempest when she slammed into me but when I saw who it was I turned my bow on the idiot in my dad's office and shot him in the foot."

"Did you call the cops?"

"Well, sure. But they didn't show up until after the guy was tied up with tape on his mouth and the shaft of an arrow still sticking out of his foot."

"Tape—Jeez Jamie, doesn't that seem a bit extreme?"

"He was an intruder so he got shot. He needed to be contained so he got tied up with zip ties. And his vocabulary is more colorful than a sailor's so he got duct tape over his mouth. It was all for good reason," I told her very calmly explaining everything.

"Who was he? Why was he in your house?"

"His name was Zeke. And he was stealing my dad's dragons."

"His dragons? He was after your dad's dragons. Are they expensive?"

"Not that I know of but that may be worth looking into. It's not like he goes out and buys them, people are always giving them to him as gifts."

"Maybe one of them is actually worth something."

"Maybe so… but anyways, I was going to tell you."

"But you didn't. You have a cell phone for a reason you know," Jade said looking a little put out.

"Well I'm sorry I didn't realize I had to report every little thing to you." I was getting mad now.

"Someone breaking into your house isn't little, Jamie. You could have gotten hurt."

"But I didn't, I'm fine. If something had happened I would have let you know. But nothing did."

"You keep talking about this like it's no big deal—"

"It isn't a big deal. It was all taken care of. And it's not like I didn't have some help.

"All Tempest did was hold him and tie him up."

"How do you know that? I never said how Tempest helped," I asked, suddenly suspicious of my best friend.

She stuttered for a moment before getting out the sentence, "I must have heard Wally say it or something."

"I never told anyone what happened; you would have had to be there."

"Well clearly I wasn't so you told someone and I somehow heard it."

"That's not possible. I am telling you. Tell me the truth Jade," I demanded, staring intently at her.

"There is nothing to tell," she insisted. I've known Jade long enough to know when she is hiding something. Now was one of those times.

"Stop lying to me—"

"—I'm not."

"JUST STOP!" I yelled at her. "I've gone through enough in the last 24 hours without having my best friend lie to my face."

"Jamie, I'm not—"

"I said, stop." I got up, grabbed my bag and left the class room. I walked down to the library and sat in the back corner where the bookshelves covered up where I was. I just needed to be away from people for a while.

After a few minutes I heard footsteps coming down the aisle. I looked up, ready to tell Jade to go away but was surprised to see Wally standing in front of me.

"What?" I asked, glaring up at him.

"Well you aren't one to go running out of the room. Jade was frustrated and wouldn't say anything so the teacher sent me down to check on you," he explained as he slid down the wall till he was sitting next to me.

"Well, I'm here. I'm not planning on coming back to class. You can tell the teacher I said that if you want but I don't need my friend to sit there and lie to my face. I know she's hiding something. I can't stand it when people lie to me," I told him, leaning my head back against the wall.

"why do you say she is hiding something?"

"She knew how Tempest helped me even though I never told anyone. She knew… she knew… it's almost like… Never mind."

"It's almost like what?"

"It's gonna sound stupid but, it's almost like Jade knew what Tempest did because Jade is Tempest."

"I could find out," he offered.

"Yeah, because you have "connection"," I mocked.

"No really, one of my friends can find out anything. He's…. well, he's talented like that. Are you sure you want to know?"

I thought for a moment and decided that I did want to know. "Find out what you can."

Wally got a weird smile on his face and asked "So this means that we're like partners now, right?"

"Don't push your luck buddy boy," I told him narrowing my eyes.

He stood up and held his hand down to help me up. I took his hand and he hauled me to my feet. Wally gave my hand a quick squeeze but held on longer than was strictly necessary. I cocked an eyebrow at him but he wasn't looking at my face, but at the hand he was holding.

"I never asked before but, what happened? How did you get the scars?" He wasn't trying to pry but was genuinely curious.

"When I was 13 there was an accident while my dad and I were camping. Well, the long and short of that story is I got burns up to my elbows and I smacked my face on a tree branch and got these gashes. Basically I have a better reason than most people to not like lightning." I pulled my hand back and rubbed the scarred skin.

"It doesn't look that bad you know," Wally said.

"Excuse me?"

"The scars; they aren't that bad. It gives you personality."

"Because I would be such a dry person if I didn't have these lovely scars," I told him sarcastically.

"That's not what I meant."

"It's a lot harder to blend into the back ground when everything about you says "Look at me!"" _Unless you have a mask, masks and gloves are my new favorite thing. Assuming I actually get my uniform sometime in the near future._

:3( )~~

Luke paced back and forth in his cell in Bellrev. It was two days past the time that Lilly said she was going to bust him out. Something must have happened. And he couldn't get to her because of the stupid inhibitor collar. He stuck rubbed his neck the best he could but it didn't give much relief. He walked to the cell door and saw one of the security guard running down the hall.

"Where's the fire?" Luke called out to him, jokingly.

The guard turned pointed back behind him. Luke pressed his face against the bars and could see smoke billowing out of one of the cells.

"Whose cell is that?" he asked his buck mate, Nova. **(See authors note at the bottom, I suggest you read it all, the rest of the chapter will make more sense if you do.) **

She jumped off her bunk and peered out the bars next to look. Nova gasped and then screamed, "BEM!"

Luke knew from talking to Nova that Bem was the little girl she took care of. Nova was reaching through the bars as far as she could, trying to reach the little girl in the flaming cell.

Luke gripped her shoulders and turned her around so that they were eye to eye. "Nova, Nova, look at me. Who was her cell mate?" Luke asked franticly. When she didn't respond he gave her a shake and she finally looked at him.

"Arson, his name is Arson. He's a pyro."

"He is immune to fire, if she stays close to him she will be fine." _I bet my lunch that this is part of Lilly's plan. _He pulled out the pocket watch he smuggled in and opened it. The face that had been blank before was glowing green. _"Green means go," _Lilly had told him.

"Nova, we have a green light, let me see your collar." He popped the back off the watch and pulled out a small tool and began picking the inhibitor collar.

:3( )~~

I waited under the light post once again, waiting for Robin to come with my uniform. I figured I'd just stay as a dog instead of as a human since I didn't bring a jacket, so I had no way of hiding my identity.

Robin melted out of the shadows and quirked a smile. "Hello, Mutt."

"Well, you're persistent, I'll give you that," I told him.

"I believe I have something for you." He dropped the bag he was carrying down in front of me. "Do to the nature of our work; I did some… modifications, you might say, to your uniform."

I nosed around in the bag, trying to find these so called "modifications."

"You won't be able to tell until you put it on, mutt. That is another security feature that I had installed; nothing special about it can be accessed until you and only you are wearing it." He stood there looking very proud of himself.

"Well I'm going to head out now. Thanks for bringing this by." I picked up the bag in my mouth and started walking away.

"Hey Mutt, quick question," Robin said as I walked away. "Do you know where a Jade Lebeau lives? I know she's close but I figured it'd be easier to ask you than to just waltz around the neighborhood."

_Jade._

"Umm, yeah, I think I know who that is. Follow me." I shifted into a small dragon (about 3 feet long) and flew in the direction of Jade's house. When we got there I motioned to the one story house.

"A dragon? Really?" Robin asked.

"I'm not bound by reality. I can literally be anything I want to."

"Whatever Mutt," he chuckled. "Thanks for showing me where she lives."

"What is this for any ways?"

"Favor for a friend."

**I came up with Nova, also known as Super Nova. She can glow extremely bright (causes blindness. 10 times more powerful than looking at the sun) and produce an explosion that disintegrates everything around her. (She can control how big the blast is, but what finally landed her in Bellrev is the destruction of an entire city.) Basically she has the properties of an actual supernova, well… those two things anyways. Real name is Nora Scott. She has long blonde hair with purple tips**

**Her partners in crime are:**

**- Black hole; a little black girl (about 12 years old) who can absorb anything she wants to. Even though she has this ability she is still tiny. As she gets older the ability increases and the pull around her gets stronger. She can reproduce what she absorbs so she has become quite the pick pocket. She calls Nova "Aunt Nova" or "Aunt Nora" even though they aren't blood related. Nova has taken care of her since she was abandoned by her parents when she was 7. Her real name is Bem Hedley. This is kinda funny since Bem means peace.**

**-Pulsar; a 17 year old boy that can emit different types of waves. Like sound waves, radio waves, microwaves and so on and so forth. Most of the time just plain waves don't do too much damage but when they are concentrated… well, it's not good. His real name is Parker Bryd. He is deeply tanned with short cut black hair, and has clear grey eyes.**

**All three of them have tattoos of their astronomy related name on their right shoulder.**

**Arson is another of my creations. Since I'm not planning on having arsenal in here hopefully it won't be too confusing. And it's pretty easy to figure it out but he is quiet the pyro. He cant control fire or start it but he is immune to it and if he is touching someone/ something else, they too will be fire proof.**


	19. Chapter 19: Prom date & meeting a friend

**I am soooo brain dead on this chapter. I have zero inspiration and could really use some suggestions. Please put it in a review or PM me. I would be grateful for anything you can give. **

Chapter 19

_How is it that Wally says he has a friend that can find out if Jade is Tempest and then that night Robin says he needs to know where Jade lives. What kind of connections does this kid have?_

I pondered this as I walked down the street to Jade's house. When I stepped up to her front door I paused for a moment. It's never easy talking to someone after you've argued with, especially if you are close to that person. When you're close with that person you have a lot more ammo to use against said person and it uglier, faster.

I rapped on the door with my fist and stepped back. Jades mom opened the door.

"Hi, Jamie. Let me get Jade," she said then turned around and yelled, "JADE! IT'S FOR YOU!"

I heard her responds of, "WHO IS IT?" coming from down the hall way.

"IT'S JAMIE!"

"TELL HER I'M NOT HOME!"

_Well this just got awkward._

"I don't think she feels like talking right now."

"So I hear… I was hoping we could talk and clear some waters."

"You can't force her to listen. She's become very closed off when she's frustrated after last year," Mrs. Lebeau said with a sad look in her eyes.

"Last year? What happened last year?"

"Jade was… Jade was…. I have to go," Jade's mom turned away to hide the tears that were running down her face and closed the door.

:3( )~~

I was lying in bed, contemplating my ceiling fan when I felt my phone vibrate. I slid it open.

_1 unread message from "unknown" _ it read.

I opened the message.

_I have the answer to your question. Meet me by the swings at the park._

I rolled my eyes and responded with, _Do you want me to wear a flower in my lapel so you know who you're supposed to be meeting, Wally?_

_I don't think that will be necessary, but do try to keep it on the down low. This is a stealth mission._

_Yeah. Cause a stealthy ginger isn't an oxymoron at all._

_Do you want your answer or not?_

_I'll be there in 5._

I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

:3( )~~

"Okay, I'm here. What's the answer?" I asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we haven't discussed the subject of payment," Wally said pumping his legs on the swing, making him go higher and higher.

I snapped my hand out and grabbed the chain of his swing, stopping the swing but letting Wally go flying off and face planting into the wood chips. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees and spit out wood chips. I walked over and knelt down next to him. "Now let's try this again. What's the answer?"

"My source tells me that Jade is… Tempest."

"Jade is Tempest," I repeated. "And you are 100% sure about this?"

"I trust my source infinitely."

"Yeah, I would too," I muttered, thinking of Robin.

"What was that?" Wally asked cocking his head.

"Nothing, just thinking out loud."

"So what are you gonna do about it?" he asked, shaking his red hair to remove stray pieces of wood from his scalp.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You could follow her and see where she goes."

"Or I could text her."

"And then you could corner her and be all 'I have your secret identity'."

"I've got her phone number."

"Fun sucker," He muttered, "Besides is it really a good idea to text her something like that?"

"Why not?"

"Don't her parents read her texts or something?"

"So I call her. You do realize that cell phones are capable of doing that these days, right?"

"Yes, Jamie, I know that phones can make phone calls," he said defensively.

"Hey, you can never tell with your type."

"My type? Is that another ginger slur?"

"You're a quick one, can't get nothin' past you."

There was a smile in his eyes, like he knew something else.

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice, Mouth, unless you have something else to tell me."

"We all have secrets, Jamie. That's what makes life so much fun; you never know when you will stumble on to the out skirts of some ones hidden life."

"Are you saying that I have tip toed on a secret of yours?"

"I said nothing of the sort." His wrist watch started beeping, like an alarm going off. "It's time for me to go."

I turned to walk back to my house when I hear him call out from behind me, "I owe you one for the wood chips, just so you know!"

I turned the corner and dug a piece of paper out of my purse and scrawled, _"Come at me, bro." _onto it, tucked my purse under a bush and turned into a black dog again, but this time I was a black lab.

With the paper held carefully in between my teeth, trying to keep it as slobber free as possible, I ran in the direction I had seen Wally go. When I saw him I head butted the back of his knees making him stumble a moment.

"What the-? Hi there!"

I pranced around him like my dogs had done so often to me, tossing my head, trying to get him to see the paper in my mouth. It worked.

"Whatcha got there? Come on, give it here," he said holding out his hand.

I spit out the paper and watched as he unfolded it.

" 'Come at me, Bro?' What, are you Jamie's dog? She's got you running messages for her?"

I just stood there and wagged.

Wally pulled a pen out of his pocket and wrote something on the back of the note.

"Give this back to Jamie, and tell her to wear something pretty," he said as he handed me the note.

I ran back to where I had hid my purse and changed back into a human and read what he wrote on the back of the note.

"_Go to Prom with me and we'll call it even."_

I smiled to myself but the smile kept growing bigger and bigger till I was dancing there on the sidewalk. Not only did I have a date to the prom but I had a date to the prom with Kid Flash. I knew he smelled familiar (you know as a dog I can tell these things) and now I know why. That night after guard practice, when I walked around as a dog I had met Kid Flash, and now I had the smell of Wally, they are the same. I have just figured out Kid Flash's secret identity and he just asked me to Prom!

I called Jade's cell phone as I skipped home. As I assumed, it went to voicemail. Some things you just can't keep to yourself.

"Hey, Jade, it's me. I know you don't want to talk to me right now but I had to tell you. I got a date to Prom! You would never believe who it is so I'll tell you at a later time when you are willing to talk. I'll see you tomorrow in class."

About a minute after I hung up, my phone was ringing.

"Hello?"

"Who is it? You've gotta tell me who it is," Jade spit out all in one breath.

I was about to tell her when I heard a scream from off to my left. I peeked down the alley way and say a group of about seven teenage boys pushing around a girl about the same age.

"Jade, I'm sorry but I'll have to tell you tomorrow."

"Don't you dare hang up that phone, Jamie! Don't you do it!"

"Sorry, gotta go." I hung up the phone.

I ran into the bushes and changed into my Shift costume and pulled on my mask that I had stashed in my purse just in case the need for it arose. I shifted into a rat and scurried my way up onto a dumpster and went back into human form. The group of guys had the girl backed against a wall so only she could see me appear out of what seemed like nowhere.

"Didn't your mothers teach you that you should play nice with other kids?" I said, crossing my legs.

The herd of testosterone all turned around as one.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" the biggest and ugliest guy asked.

"I am what you thing you see, what you think you is reality. I am the shapes that change in the shadow of the night; I am the black shadow that hides the truth. Believe what you see, unless what you see is me. I am Shift." By this time I was standing on top of the dumpster, towering over their heads.

"Shift? I don't know any one named Shift. You're just another freak in a costume."

"You haven't seen freaky." I leaped off the dumpster, over their heads and turned into a big black wolf, landing nimbly in the middle of their circle; with the girl they were terrorizing behind me.

"She's a shape shifter! "

"Wow, you're smarter than you look; that's not saying much but hey, at least it's something," I growled, before leaping at the closest guy. I pinned him to the ground with my scarred paws and snapped my teeth in his face, making sure I didn't actually get skin. He screamed his head off and curled into a ball. I checked him off my list of potential threats and moved on to Big Ugly Number 2.

This one held his ground when I rushed at him and ducked so that when I lept at him, I sailed over his head and into the trash bins behind him. I sat there in the pile of garbage for a moment, dazed. When I had my head on straight again I changed from a wolf into a rat. The change in size confused him long enough for me to run up his pant leg and use my tiny little claws and teeth to wreak havoc on his shins. He danced around, stomping his feet and swatting at his legs. One of his buddies ran over and tried to help but by that point I was already on to the next animal; a five foot long boa constrictor.

I wrapped my body around the guy's ankle and squeezed until I felt the bone snap. He dropped to the ground, moaning and holding his shattered ankle. His friend, Big Ugly Number 3 (who had come over to help him), reached down and grabbed me behind my neck and by the end of my tail; quite effectively preventing me from wrapping around his arms. If I shifted into something different then he would still have his hand wrapped around my neck, and that is something I would rather avoid. So I was stuck.

I was stuck until I saw a shadow pass over the face of the guy that held me. I twisted my head around so I could see who was coming. I can promise you right now, snakes can indeed smile. It was Tempest. Her uniform was the same as I remembered from before, grey shirt, black sleeves, black pants and a black mask covering the lower half of her face.

She blasted the first guy that rushed her (affectionately called Big Ugly Number 4) with a wave of water. He was washed down the alley with piles of trash. The guy holding me loosened his grip just enough for me to wriggle out of his hold and shift into my normal form. I swept the legs out of the guy that had been holding me a moment before and Tempest made the concrete he landed on wrap around his hands and legs, pinning him to the ground.

Big Ugly Number 5 finally got a clue and bolted, leaving us numbers 6 and 7.

"Launch me," I told Tempest as I ran at her. She knelt to the ground, lacing her fingers together as she did so. I stepped into her waiting hands and she pushed me up into the air. I shifted into a fiery phoenix and flew straight for the lumbering idiots rushing towards us. One of them swatted at me like I was just some annoying bug that had gotten into the house. He screamed as his hand caught on fire then ran over to a puddle and stuck his hand in it. As soon as the fire was out Big Ugly Number 6 was gone.

Leaving one. Tempest pulled a canister of some sort out and held it in front of her other hand that she had out. She sent a wave of green flames to the ground around the last guy's feet.

"Where did you get the Greek fire from?" I asked her after I had landed and shifted back.

"Believe in magic, you muggle!"

"Tempest, we don't want to roast the guy. Shouldn't you put out the fire?"

"Greek fire has the nasty habit of being water proof," Tempest replied, smiling at that fact.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing you can create a wind vortex to suck all of the oxygen out of the air around it. I'll get the bozo out of the way so he doesn't suffocate."

As turned into the same small dragon that I had with Robin and flew over the flames to the guy that was standing in the middle of the flaming green circle. I changed my wings so that they were big enough to bear the weight of both of us and lifted him up over the crackling flames. As soon as his feet touched the ground he was out of there, yelling something about flaming chickens.

"Okay, your turn."

Tempest sighed and created a funnel around the flame, sucking the oxygen out until there was nothing left of the fire.

I walked over to where the girl that those idiots were messing with was sitting, curled into a ball, sobbing her eyes out.

"Hey, it's okay. There gone now," I told her, putting a hand on her shaking shoulder.

"They were gonna…. They said they were going to…" she lapsed into another fit of sobs.

"But they didn't, and they won't. You're safe now.

"Thank you." I helped her to her feet.

"Do you want us to take you home?" Tempest asked her.

"No, that's alright. I don't live far."

"Suit yourself."

She walked out of the alley way and stopped before she turned the corner, heading for home, "You guys make a pretty good team by the way." She smiled then walked away.

"So," Tempest said turning to me, "Who are you?"

"I'm Shift." _Funny, she doesn't recognize her best friend._

"Tempest. You haven't been around very long have you?

"Around the town, yes, but as a hero, well, this is the first time with a costume."

"You'll get the hang of it. And your power is pretty cool. Can you change into anything?"

"Everything I've tried so far."

"What about people?" Now that was one thing I hadn't tried. Could I?

"I don't know. I haven't tried turning into people."

"Always something to consider."

We stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Thanks," I said, breaking the silence.

"For what?"

"For coming and giving me a hand. Taking on seven was a little bit more of a hand full than I figured it would be."

"you live, you learn. And by the way, I would get that cut checked out."

"Cut? What cut?" She pointed her finger at my forehead. When I raised my gloved hand up to it I felt a lump and a gash about an inch and a half long. "Oh, that cut." I pulled off my glove and held it against my head, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Your hands are…" Tempest started, then her eyes got big.

I laughed and pulled off my mask. "Hi, Jade."

**I have made Wally Jamie's prom date due to my lack of one. So I shall live vicariously through my story.**


	20. Chapter 20: Breakouts, ID and Dates

Chapter 20

"Okay, it's off. Now get mine." Luke handed the tools he was using over to Nova and she started picking the lock.

"What about the exploding mechanism inside? Why didn't it go off?"

"My sister. She's here and she knows how to get that kind of thing turned off." _There are probably few less guards in the world now, though._

As she worked she kept trying to crane her neck over to see into the flaming cell. All that could be seen was flames licking out of the cell and a glow against the opposite wall. She whimpered and muttered to herself but all that Luke could distinguish was "My poor baby".

"You're free."

"Great. Come on." Luke grabbed her hand and transported them out of the cell and into the hallway. As soon as Nova's feet were solidly on the ground, she took off running towards the burning cell. Now that she was closer, she could hear screaming from inside the cell.

"Bem! Bem can you hear me?" Nova shouted over the roaring of the flames.

"Aunt Nora! You have to get us out of here! It's so hot!"

"Are you staying with Arson? He can keep you safe."

"Yeah," they heard Arson reply," I've got her, she's safe, but the fire is getting hotter than I've ever tried resisting." The smoke was so thick that they couldn't see the pair.

"Get her out of there."

"If I don't know where I'm going then I can get stuck in nowhere."

"Aunt Nora, hurry!"

"Bem, get as far away from the door as possible and duck down behind something if you can. I'm going to blow the door off."

Luke grabbed her shoulder, "keep it small but big enough to count. The force of the blast is going to shoot the fire towards them."

Nova put her hands on the bars of the door and closed her eyes. Her hands started glowing and then the door was blown off its hinges and into the cell. It crashed into the bunk bed and fell to the ground. Nova started to run into the burning cell but Luke caught her arm before she could go in. "You aren't fire proof."

"And you Ghost, are just a kid and can't tell me what to do," Nova said brushing his hand off her.

_That sounded childish, _Luke thought as Nova called out to Bem, "The door is gone, get out of there."

They came running out of the fiery cell; Arson was shielding Bem from the flames with his body. As soon as they were out, Nova scooped up Bem and carried her away from the fire. Luke grabbed Arson's arm and dragged him away as well.

"Nova, I know you want to make sure Bem is ok but we need to keep moving. My sister will be waiting." He pulled out the pocket watch to see if there was a new message, but it was still green.

"No, we need a moment to… fix some things," Arson said from where he was leaning against the wall. Luke turned to face him and saw that his face was pale and he was holding his right side. Blood was soaking through his orange jumpsuit and running down his fingers.

"Arson!" Bem shouted and she jumped out of her Aunt's arms and ran to his side as he slid to the ground. She pealed his hand back and saw a piece of the metal bar from the door imbedded in his side. It was still red hot from the blast. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

"But, I thought you were immune to fire?" Bem said, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Fire, yes; heat, no," he replied through clenched teeth.

"Now, how is that for an unfortunate loop hole?" a lazy voice said from inside a nearby cell.

"Who are you?" Luke demanded.

"Just a guy that wants in and out."

"In and out?"

"In on whatever you are doing and out of this cell and collar." The guy in the cell was lounging on the floor with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. Starting from where he was lying down in the middle of his cell, there were rings drawn to look like they were expanding out from him. They warped up the walls and all the way on to the ceiling. "I am Pulsar."

"Pulsar?" Bem asked, leaning to see into the cell. "Parker?"

"Hey, B.H. Long time, no see," Pulsar said sitting up, his grey eyes shining.

"You know each other?" Luke asked looking from one to the other.

"He has to come with us."

"Bem, who is this guy? How do you know him?" Nova asked, tugging at the little girls shoulder to turn her around to face her.

"Parker took care of me when my parents first left me. He made sure I had food every day. He helped me get my power under control. We lived in an abandoned house. I never knew what had happened to him. He just didn't come home one night, the night he was captured and taken here."

"But that had to have been years ago. He couldn't have been more than 12 years old."

"And?" Pulsar asked. "You think I couldn't take care of her?"

"Guys, this is neither the time nor the place to get into this. We need to go and we need to go now."

"He has to come with us," Bem insisted.

"Well I don't think we want to get him out the same way we got the two of you out, so I'll take care of this one." Luke blinked himself into the cell, grabbed Pulsar and blinked back out.

"Now let's go. Parker, you are going to help me carry Arson. We are officially behind schedule and we still have other people to find and let out. We will deal with your collar when we get a chance," Luke said. All these unplanned pit stops were murder on his schedule. _What was so hard about get caught, get thrown in Bell Rev, make friends and break out? With Lilly pulling the strings on the outside this mission should have been going without a hitch._

They didn't encounter any guards as they stormed down the hall way. Again, probably Lilly's doing. _How does she have these kind of connections and I don't? _Luke pulled out the pocket watch as they walked and checked the face again. Now, instead of a glowing green face, it was blue. _Blue for bust out._

"Stop here. The people in the cells around us are the ones we came for. Let's get to work."

:3( )~~

"JAMIE?!" Jade shrieked when she finally picked her jaw up off the ground.

"Surprise," I said sheepishly. She continued to sputter while I just laughed at her. "Is it really that hard to imagine that I'm Shift? Thanks for that boost of confidence."

She pulled down her mask and continued to stare, and then it dawned on her, "How did you know it was me?"

I couldn't very well sell out Wally so I went with what started this whole fandango.

"You came to my house as Tempest, remember? Then we had the big blow out about it. You are a terrible liar by the way."

"But how can you do the turning into different animals thing?" she asked, disregarding the terrible liar statement.

"You mean like this?" I asked and then poofed myself into a black lion. With all my scars I looked like Scar from The Lion King.

"Yes, like that."

"No clue." I shifted back into a human and wiped the blood off that was running into my eyes.

"You really need to get that check out. What are you going to tell your parents?" she asked.

"Oh you know; the usual. That I hit myself in the head with my sabre in guard while i was practicing."

"It's a good thing we are have a violent sport to blame injuries on, isn't it?"

"Indeed. And what about you Ms. 'Look at me; I can control the elements'? How did that come about?"

It was almost as if a cloud had passed overhead, Jade's face went dark and closed off. "This is not the place to talk about it. Another day, another time. But I will tell you. For now, let's get back into our normal clothes and get you to the doctor."

"The doctor? Jade I'm fine, it's just a little bump," I insisted.

"Little bumps don't bleed profusely," she pointed out. "And I've been standing hear watching your eyes go in and out of focus."

"That's just from all the shape shifting. I'm fine. And head wounds always bleed profusely."

"Hey, when you're puking at school tomorrow because it turns out you have a skull fracture, I'm not going to be the one that drags your but down to the nurse," Tempest said crossing her arms.

I shifted into a large black falcon and flew around Jade a few times. "I'll hold you to that!" I told her before flying off to get my bag and go home.

:3( )~~

The next day I found a red ribbon tied around the light post. I saw that there was something written on it so I untied it and read:

Meet us the same as you did before. Wear the suit. –R

_Looks like I'm going to Gotham again, _I thought. I almost pocketed the ribbon before I remembered how much Batman and Robin love tracking devices. I retied the ribbon and headed for school.

_First period is going to be interesting, _I though as I walked into art class. I have my best friend back and am going to prom with the ginger we always mock, who also happens to be a superhero. I sat down in my seat and suddenly Wally was leaning over the table with his head propped up on his hands.

"Well, hello there," he said batting his eyes.

"Hi, Wally. Got something in your eye?"

"I guess there must be, because all I can see is you."

I had to resist gagging. "That's nice, but I think I liked it better when you weren't trying to flirt."

He shrugged his shoulders and slid into a seat at the table as Jade walked into the class room.

"Hey Jamie, did you hear about any _shifty_ business yesterday?" she asked. I picked my sketch book up off the table and smacked her in the arm with it. She merely snickered and sat down.

"I didn't hear anything but I was _tempted_ to find out," i countered and then ducked as her sketchbook came swinging at my face.

"It looks like the two of you are all buddy-buddy again," Wally observed.

"And it looks like you are abandoning your table again."

"Well i wanted to sit by my date."

"Date?" Jade asked, lifting an eyebrow.

I figured this is the kind of thing that she should hear from me, so I jumped in on the conversation. "You know how I said I had a date to the prom? Well, this is him."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, I was going to ask him."

"Sorry, too late," I told her shrugging my shoulders.

"Ladies, ladies, there is plenty of The Wall- Man to go around." We both turned and looked at him in a way that said, "Yeah, if we each only wanted a toe." Then we turned back to face each other and had a conversation that consisted only of facial expressions. It ended with a nod and we turned back to Wally. "It's a deal."

**I realize it took forever to get this chapter out and im sorry for that. if you have questions or coments please message me and don't forget to review!**


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